Return to Smallville
by mozartmaid
Summary: What would have happened had Clark disappeared with Zod and the Kandorians? How would have Lois have coped? How would the world, especially if greater dangers lurked in the near future...
1. Chapter 1

~Prologue~

The golden light shot upwards from the console, a beam that appeared once the Book of Rao was in place. One by one, the Kandorians began to ascend towards the radiant beacon, to their unknown new home. Even though he had chosen this, had made it happen, Clark suddenly had the desire to hold on, to somehow not be taken up with the others.

He had always believed he had a destiny here on Earth. How could he have been so wrong?

His human side still affected him, no matter how many times he tried to set it aside. He would miss those he cared about, those he loved…

And there was one, more than any of the others, who would be the hardest to leave behind. Her kiss was still fresh in his memory…

"_Can you ever forgive me for thinking you were him?" she said, guilt over having mistaken Zod for the Blur laden in her voice. Lois' back was turned to him, as she knew they both had to protect his identity. She was always protecting him – almost as much as he was always trying to protect her._

_She held up the Book of Rao for him to take. Her trust in him was infinite it seemed… and yet he still couldn't tell her the truth. Partly out of needing to protect her, and partly out of fear._

"_Please say something," she pleaded. "Anything…"_

_As he reached for the Book of Rao, he felt her slim fingers in his grasp. A spark of connection went through him at her touch, even as he hid his face from her in the shadows._

_Suddenly, he needed a moment of truth for both of them. He would be gone forever after tonight. She had to know what she meant to him, even if she never knew _who_ he really was._

_He pulled her to him, into the shadowy alcove, damning the consequences of stealing this one moment. He leaned over her and kissed her with all the passion and love he felt for her. She seemed slightly startled at first, but her lips quickly became pliant under his, as she sought to give as much as he gave. He thought perhaps in her soul she knew she was kissing Clark, even if her mind hadn't caught up quite yet. But he dared not speak, dared not break the moment with an admission of his duplicity._

_Reluctantly, he pulled away, though not before one last, tender kiss. He felt the desire to say her name well up in him, for her to know, finally, who her hero really was—_

_But instead, he left her in a gust of wind, knowing that leaving her having the truth known would be far more painful._

Clark felt his feet leave the ground. He was suddenly ripped away from the city, from the people he cherished, and a guttural "No!" escaped his lips in protest.

He rose at the same time as Zod, and their eyes met, hovering over Metropolis, floating towards some unknown future. Zod's lips curled in a triumphant smile.

"You're mine now, Kal-El."

They disappeared through the golden beam, into the clouds. In a bright flash of light, Clark Kent left the earth forever.

**~Three years later~**

Lois Lane entered the Daily Planet, her Blackberry pressed between her shoulder and her ear as she struggled to carry in her files and notebook from last night's workload.

"I'll be on the plane to Washington tonight, Mrs. K. Do you think I have a shot at getting in a question at the press conference? Will Lex – sorry, President Luthor—" she did an eye roll—"even remember me?"

She nodded thanks as someone passed her a cup of coffee on the way to her office. "I know, but this could bring about nuclear war. He's more than flirting with danger by making us the largest nuclear threat on the planet… OK, Mrs. K. I'll phone you when I land at Dulles. See you later."

She hung up her phone with a sigh and began sorting through the newspapers and other mail on her desk, doing what she did every day: create two separate piles of things she would deal with immediately and what could be put off until later. Then she took her coffee and today's edition of the Planet and sat back in her chair. Her headline graced the front page, and although she always got a thrill when her articles made it above the fold, she was sad to read this one: "President Luthor gambles with nuclear threat."

She sighed, setting the paper back down, and walked over to her large window that overlooked the city. It was days like this, when the world seemed so hopeless, that she missed the Blur the most… that she missed _Clark_ the most.

As always when she thought of him, a wave of sadness and regret came over her. She had only figured out that he was the Blur the night he had kissed her… and then disappeared forever.

She had been overjoyed after that kiss, realizing her hero and the man she loved were the same person. She had thought she might tell him she knew the next day at the Planet, or at least give him plenty of encouragement to eventually tell her the truth himself.

But Clark never showed up at the Planet the next day, or the next.

She had gone to the farm, but there had been no sign of him.

Knowing he was the Blur, she thought maybe he had been caught up in a mission, dealing with Zod. That he would return in a matter of days. But as days turned to weeks, and weeks turned into a month, she finally accepted the truth.

Clark was gone for good.

One night, when the pain had gotten to be too much, Lois had called Mrs. Kent, her last connection to the family that had meant so much to her.

"_Mrs. K? It's Lois," she said, her voice thick with tears, having hit her low point. She missed Clark desperately, and she hated how helpless she felt… She only had memories of him, the most indelible being that kiss from the Blur— even after almost six months, it was seared into her soul, and she knew she'd never forget it._

"_Lois? How are you honey?" Martha said, her voice sounding a little strained._

"_Not so good… um, I was wondering when you'd be at the farm? I—I really need to talk to you."_

_Martha paused for a long moment. "It's about Clark, isn't it?"_

"_Yeah," Lois said softly, reaching for another tissue._

"_I'll be at the farm this weekend. Come down anytime you like."_

"_Thanks Mrs. K." _

_Lois hung up the phone, feeling marginally better that she could speak to Mrs. Kent about Clark. She didn't know what kind of answers she'd get, but at least she could put away this lonely feeling of hopelessness…_

Was he dead?

_She didn't know. She couldn't think that he was, though. Something had happened to him, that much was certain._

_But he was the Blur, invincible. _

_He had to be alive… she had to believe that._

_~\S/~_

_Lois arrived Friday evening at the farm. She was relieved to see Mrs. Kent's car already in the driveway. She hadn't been here since Clark had disappeared, and she feared if she had to face seeing this place alone, that she'd lose what little control she had over her emotions._

_As it was, tears stuck in her throat as she walked up to the house, a house full of memories with Clark._ _She even half-expected to see Clark come out and meet her on the porch, wearing some hideous flannel shirt and ready with a bantering tease. But the fact was, he wouldn't come… he was gone. And she had resolved to come here to ask Mrs. Kent why and where._

_As she plodded up the short flight of stairs, she saw Martha through the screen door, preparing to bake something._

"_Lois!" she greeted with a warm hug. "Come in!"_

_Lois wrapped her arms around Mrs. Kent, a small balm on the pain she felt in coming here._

"_What would you like to drink? Some juice?"_

"_Sure," Lois said absently, searching for words to begin._

_Martha poured Lois a glass of orange juice and handed it to her. _

_Lois stared at the glass for a long moment, not drinking it, trying to collect her thoughts. She felt so alone, even in this house of so many pleasant memories. The whole Kent family had lied to her for years. And even though she understood the reason for keeping Clark's secret, she couldn't help but feel that she hadn't been good enough or trustworthy enough for them to tell her. She had had to figure it out all on her own._

_She decided not to prevaricate, but come out with the truth. She wouldn't give Mrs. K another chance to retreat behind the lie. She knew it was so ingrained in her, that Lois had to be as forthright as possible. She set down the glass, and looked straight at Martha Kent. "Mrs. K, I know Clark is the Blur."Lois paused, expecting Martha to deny it. But she simply waited for Lois to continue. Under the weight of Mrs. K's benevolent stare, full of understanding and acceptance, Lois felt her emotions give way. "But what I don't know is why he's disappeared," she said at last, her voice breaking on the last word, tears coming to her eyes._

"_Oh, honey, come here," Martha said, wrapping Lois in her motherly embrace once more. Lois fell into her arms, glad to at last have that burden out in the open; to be accepted and worthy to carry the secret with her._

"_Please, tell me everything you know, Mrs. Kent. I will find him. I can't believe that he's—"_

"_He's not," Martha said firmly, pulling out of the hug to look Lois in the eyes._

"_Then—where is he?" Lois asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks._

_Martha sighed and gestured that they move to somewhere more comfortable. She led the way over to the couch. "Have a seat, Lois. I'll do my best to explain."_

_Lois sat down, making room on the couch for Mrs. Kent to join her. Martha held both of Lois' hands in hers, her face full of sadness and wisdom._

"_Clark… came to us as a child, from, well—," Martha began haltingly, seemingly unsure how to explain, but gesturing vaguely above her._

_But Lois, even in her emotional distress, was sharp as a tack. "The first meteor shower?" she asked, incredulous, even as her mind began whirling with the implications._

_Martha nodded in confirmation. "He developed these abilities… and eventually became the Blur… I mean, it's more complicated than that-but, he thought his planet was destroyed. He thought he was the last of his kind, until he met the Kandorians… a group of people that survived the explosion of Krypton."Martha glanced at Lois. "I know it's hard to understand and a lot to take in… but, he led them to a new world, where they wouldn't be threatened here or… Zod-"_

"_He wanted to take over, didn't he? Zod?" Lois said, getting chills of fear, remembering her encounter with him when she almost gave him the Book of Rao. "Clark led them away to protect Earth."_

"_Exactly…"_

_The two women sat in silence a long moment, each lost in their own thoughts._

_Lois eventually sighed, leaning into the sofa. "Do you think he'll ever come back?"_

"_I don't know, Lois… But I know Clark. And if he can, he'll find his way back."_

Lois had treasured that conversation with Mrs. Kent, the first glimpse into the truth about who Clark was, despite how painful that she hadn't learned it from the man himself.

She kept herself sane by believing that eventually he had planned to tell her. Yet her self-doubtful side made her wonder what had been taking him so long… Had she been so untrustworthy?

She sighed, taking another sip of her coffee. She knew she could replay this loop of anger, frustration, and self-doubt for hours. It came down to the fact that he hadn't trusted her with his secret, and she may never know his reasons.

It didn't mean that she stopped loving him or missing him.

It just meant that she would never stop searching for answers.

Eventually, it had become more and more painful to work at the Planet, and in time, Lois accepted Perry's offer to go to Africa. While there, she met Carter Hall. They had several late night heart-to-hearts, and she had learned that he knew Clark. She couldn't escape his memory after all…

_The arid desert air felt clean and warm on her skin. She felt like she could be reborn, start her life over without Clark, become the reporter she always knew she could be._

_This world was so different from the noise of Metropolis, or even the stillness of the farm. It was foreign, alien… she repressed a sigh, trying not to wonder what the world that Clark was on was like… was it empty and barren like the Sahara? Rich and green like the deep jungles she had flown over to get here? Or something else entirely that she couldn't even imagine?_

_It didn't matter… he was lost to that other world, whatever and wherever it was. Just as he was lost to her. _

_At least here, she had work to keep her focused, occupied… _

_It was only in the evenings, after long talks with Carter and a few shots of whiskey, that she would lie restless in her tent, unable to sleep after the stories he told her. Destined ,yet ill-fated love... Nietzsche and his theories about an Übermensch… Clark, a super man?_

_She would wake up in hot sweats in the cool desert, feeling as if something was wrong. And she would long for arms that she knew would never hold her…_

_The desert had been meant to be her escape, yet it simply crystallized the feelings in her heart. She loved Clark… no matter how far away he was, no matter if he never returned… _

Carter had eventually convinced her to return to Metropolis, convinced her that Clark would return if he could, and that she belonged at the Planet, and not in some faraway desert, running away from her fears and regrets.

When Lois had returned to Metropolis a year later, she had felt the loss of Clark even more acutely. She missed covering the Blur in the Planet, and she missed the man sitting across her desk that she had fallen in love with…

She resolved to find a way to keep the Blur's legacy alive.

~\S/~

As the plane landed at Dulles, Lois was shaken awake by the landing, having dozed off on the flight.

She waited until the flight attendants gave them the okay, then turned on her Blackberry to text Mrs. Kent that she had arrived.

She hadn't seen Mrs. Kent in almost a year, being so busy with work, and Martha had been preoccupied with her own work in Washington. So much had changed over the last three years…

Lois had worked non-stop to inform the public about the dangers of electing Lex Luthor as President of the United States, but to no avail. He had campaigned on jobs and clean energy, but instead had brought high unemployment and forays into nuclear energy that had made the US the only developer of nuclear weapons in the world. Now he was collecting nuclear weapons from around the world, arrogantly declaring that only America should have them, threatening the balance of power within the UN, including playing fire with some very volatile nations.

Mrs. Kent had gotten her a spot at the televised press conference tomorrow, but that didn't mean she wasn't nervous to face him head on. Lex had always been a bit strange, but ever since he had reappeared after supposedly having died, it was like he was a completely different person. He never spoke about his past, and she wondered if something had happened to him to make him forget. At this press conference, she hoped to find out how much he remembered.

It was moments like this, that she missed Clark… heck, she had one of those moments at least once a day. It used to cause a dull ache in her heart, now it just made her sad and regretful. She was worried about the future. The world could sure use the Blur…

Lois collected her bags and saw Mrs. Kent, standing with one of her interns at the arrivals area. She waved at Lois.

"I made it, safe and sound," Lois said, giving the older woman a hug.

"I have you all set up at the Hilton downtown. We'll conference tomorrow morning about a carefully worded question I have in mind… I know you have ideas of your own, only I've been following this—"

Lois laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Mrs. K. I need all the advice you can give me."

Martha seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Okay, then… We'll have dinner out tonight. There are a few members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that I want you to meet. They all know your father, General Lane…"

"A military dinner… " Lois groaned inwardly, knowing certain protocols and attitude would be expected and would zap all her remaining energy. But she gamely smiled in answer, "All right, I guess I'm up for anything."

"Well, they are wary of the way Luthor is handling this… what they say will be off the record, but I figured the more you know—"

Lois nodded. "The better I can handle the press conference tomorrow, I understand."

~\S/~

Lois got back to the hotel after midnight. She was thoroughly exhausted, having listened to the concerns of the two Joint Chiefs and then, as the night waxed on and more drinks were had, she became privy to their old war stories. Martha had left them after ten, but Lois had hung out a little longer, drinking whiskey shots with the old warhorses. Her father would have been proud.

They confided that they didn't trust Luthor, that he seemed off-balance some days. His personal staff said he was moody and would ask odd questions about things he should know about. The public at large was mostly unaware, and it was in the interest of national security that no one realized the president was a little off. But those on the inside, were beginning to get nervous about the intentions and sanity of President Luthor.

Lois eventually left the bar, tucking all the information she had learned tonight into her arsenal, and decided that her subconscious could best deal with it while she slept.

When she got back to the hotel, she changed her clothes, brushed her teeth, and snuggled under the covers. Her purse was sitting on the bed, and she reached for her wallet.

Inside, she carried a picture of her and Clark. No one else knew she had it, but despite its sentimentality, it comforted her somehow. Almost lovingly, her fingers passed over Clark's face.

"I sure could use your help," she whispered quietly. Lois turned on her side, and set the picture in front of her, imagining talking to the man himself. She felt cheated of the chance to have these intimate conversations with him, if they had ever been able to get past his secret. But these little talks with his picture in the evenings gave her some comfort, let her feel as if she was still connected to him somehow."Some days are easier than others, you know. I'm quite capable… But there are days, Smallville—" she spoke softly, readjusting her position on the pillow. "There are days when I'd give anything to see my partner again… and my hero."

A tear slipped down her cheek, though she didn't bother to wipe it away. "I never got to tell you that I knew about you. I never even got to tell you what you really mean to me… But I hope you know. Wherever you are, I hope you know…" Lois kissed her fingers and then laid them gently on the photo.

"Goodnight, Smallville. See you in my dreams…"


	2. Chapter 2

Note: This story is complete. I will try to post one chapter a day, a total of 10 chapters.

At breakfast the next morning, Martha handed Lois a list of questions she had prepared.

"These are all questions that need to be asked, but you'll only have a shot at one of them. I'm hoping you can pare and parse them to at least get at the core of what we need to know – or to at least stoke a conversation around the country to put political pressure on Lex to stop this madness."

Lois glanced at the list of questions:

_What happened to the UN Nuclear Arms Peace Treaty?_

_Is the United States backing out of its promise of peace?_

_How will disarming other countries while increasing our nuclear supply bring about peace?_

Lois looked up from the paper. "He's not promising peace. He's promising war," she said pointedly.

Martha sighed, taking off her reading glasses to rub her forehead. "I know. That's the point. We need him to admit it to the American people. He's talking peace, saying that we need to be the protectors of the world, but these actions will only create conflict."

"Do you think Lex remembers?" Lois whispered, half to herself. "How did he just appear out of nowhere? I've been investigating him since he reappeared a few years ago—it's all very strange, Mrs. K."

"I know… All I know is that—Clark told me about a lab where he had been cloning himself, and I don't know—maybe this Lex is a clone," Mrs. K shivered. "Whoever he is, he's dangerous."

Lois nodded. "I just wish—" she began, but found she couldn't finish.

Martha reached over and covered Lois' hand with hers. "Me too, Lois. Me too."

~\S/~

Lois squeezed into the press conference room, along with 49 other reporters. Each one had been hand-selected from the major news organizations. President Luthor would only answer maybe five questions… which meant she had to be aggressive in getting him to notice her.

When Lex entered the room in his pristine white suit, Lois felt a sense of foreboding. There was something decidedly different about him, even off-putting. She had never really liked him, but now, there was a pervasive sense of wrong around him that she couldn't quite articulate. Maybe he was a clone after all?

He approached the podium calmly, smoothing his white silk tie before he spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, thank you for coming here today. As you know, the United States has embarked on a mission of peace, to disarm the rest of the world of nuclear weapons. By collecting all the nuclear weapons, we embrace our destiny, to becoming the true protectors of the planet. I will now take your questions."

ABC News got the first question, but Lois thought it was playing into Luthor's hands. "How is disarming the rest of the world a message of peace?"

Lex smiled smoothly, "Because if they don't have weapons, they can't start a war. Next question."

_And if we have all of them, does that mean we will preemptively strike anyone who disagrees with us?_ Lois wondered.

Her hand shot up, and Lex nodded at her. She felt her heart drop to her stomach in fear, but she didn't see any recognition in his eyes, just a cold blank stare.

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet," she managed to get out, then asked the question she and Martha had been working on since this morning. "If we are the peacekeepers, what would stop us from preemptively striking another nation if we are the only nation to hold all the nuclear weapons?"

His lips curled in a sneer. "What news organization did you say you were from?"

"Daily Planet," she responded crisply.

"A newspaper," he said, almost dismissively. "Well, you can tell your readers that the US will promote peace, until there comes a day when that is no longer feasible." He looked out, making eye contact with one of his armed guard. "We're done here."

Photoflashes and cries of "Mr. President!" and "One more question!" followed him out of the room.

Lois sank back into her chair, a mix of triumph and woe coming over her. She got him to admit that war isn't off the table, but the steely look of calculation in his eyes had terrified her.

Half the room was already empty, when Lois went to collect her purse. Her Blackberry was still being held hostage by the secret service, and she made a beeline for the exit, eager to reclaim it and tell Martha how things had gone.

A blonde woman in glasses stopped her on her way out. She took Lois back a moment, but then she quickly recognized her. "Kara?"

Kara nodded. "Lois, it's been a long time."

"Do you work for the State Department?" Lois asked with some surprise.

"Yes—but, Lois," she pulled her over to the side. "There's something seriously wrong with President Luthor."

"I know…" Lois hesitated a second, but then went further. "And I know more than you think I know… I mean, I know what happened to Clark. And why."

Kara seemed to let out a breath of relief. "I'm glad you finally know the truth. But Lois, I don't know if Clark will ever come back, and I'm not sure what to do… Do you know the Green Arrow and the rest of the League?"

"I do… Though they've kept low since the inauguration. I have no idea what they can do to stop this madness…"

Kara sighed. "I know… but we have to try something. I'll be in Metropolis next Wednesday. Can you get the heroes together for a meeting?"

"I'll see what I can do," Lois said. She turned to leave but then paused. "Kara, please be careful with Luthor."

"I will. See you next week."

~\S/~

_Lois stormed into Oliver's office, an emotional wreck. She couldn't take it anymore. The fact that everyone had known the truth but her – and she had only just figured it out after that soul-searing kiss. And now Clark was gone… forever. _

_She was certain Oliver had known. They all had known. Chloe. Lana. And they had all kept it from her. Was she really not to be trusted?_

"_Lois, what's the matter?" Oliver said, coming around from his desk to greet her._

"_He's gone, Ollie. He's never coming back. He was my best friend, and I –" she stopped mid-sentence, near hysterical as her voice broke and tears streamed down her face._

_Oliver immediately came to her, and wrapped her in his embrace. He let her cry on his shoulder a moment, and calmly walked her over to his couch. "Just one second."_

_He went over to his desk and pressed a button. "Stacy, hold my calls, will you?"_

"_Sure thing, Mr. Queen," came the reply._

_Oliver closed his office doors, poured both of them a drink and came to sit next to Lois on the sofa. He was quiet for a long time and then let out a heavy sigh, "I was wondering if you might come to me for answers."_

_Lois sniffed and started searching for a tissue in her purse. Oliver reached behind her to the side table and handed her one. "Here."_

"_Thanks… anyway, I figured it out just before he left… He—Clark kissed me, as the Blur."_

"_Oh?" Oliver said, an eyebrow raised in interest._

"_It was a dead giveaway… and I knew the Blur was going to face off with Zod, but I had no idea—I kept it all inside for so long – I even went to Africa, for crying out loud, to try and forget! But I couldn't…I can't forget him."_

"_Why didn't you come to me sooner, Lois? I haven't heard from you in months," he said, with just a hint of accusatory regret in his voice._

"_I know. And I'm sorry, Oliver. I've had to do some soul searching…" She sat quietly for a moment, getting her emotions under control. "I only got back from Africa a few weeks ago… and I've been thinking, about what I want to do." Lois turned to him, tears drying on her cheeks. "And I've decided, I want in."_

"_Want in? What do you mean? In on what?"_

"_I mean in on your little hero club. I assume you have one. I know you and Clark were friends, and well, with you as Green Arrow and what I know about AC… I just figured—" she shrugged._

_Oliver smiled, marveling at her ability to conjecture. "I always knew that it was only a matter of time before you would put all the pieces together. OK, so let's say there is a 'hero club,' as you call it. What do you plan to do? Have you been holding out on some superpowers that I don't know about?" he teased._

_She smiled tersely. "Very funny, Ollie… I just… well, it's going to sound strange, but I need to feel like Clark hasn't dropped out of my life completely, like he hasn't—died, or something. And I want to understand who he is. If he ever comes back—" she shook her head. "This all sounded so much better in my head. I guess what I want to say is, I want to help. I helped the Blur, and I want to help you, too. Will you let me?"_

~\S/~

_Lois confronted Chloe the next day._

_She was at the Talon, packing her things to move to Star City with Oliver._

_Lois had dropped almost all contact with her cousin while she had been in Africa. She had hoped to let her past disappear into the sand dunes, never expecting that it would be harder than she thought to abandon it._

"_Care to let bygones be bygones?" Lois said, gently knocking on the open door to the apartment._

"_Lois!" Chloe cried joyfully, and ran over to give her cousin a hug. "I heard you were back in town… "_

"_You deserve an explanation, Chloe. I know I sort of cut and run—for almost a year…" Lois sighed. _

"_I knew you had good reasons, Lois. But I did miss you terribly."_

_Lois swallowed the guilt that rose in her throat, remembering that Chloe had known about Clark and had also lied to her repeatedly about who he really was. She wasn't angry anymore… just hurt, and a little lost._

"_Chloe, remember when we were ten and we promised we would tell each other everything, even our biggest, darkest secrets?"_

_Chloe gave her an awkward smile. "Sure, but we were ten, Lois," Chloe laughed, but then saw Lois' serious expression. "What's this about?"_

"_Chloe… the night that Clark-" Lois paused, watching her cousin. They had barely mentioned Clark's name since he left, and the story of his disappearance had varied from spending time with family to mysterious globetrotting. "—the night he disappeared," she continued, "he kissed me. As the Blur."_

"_Lois—" Chloe said, slightly patronizing, and Lois lifted her hand to stop her._

_Lois shook her head. "Don't, Chloe. I know. I figured it all out on my own. I've even talked to Mrs. K about it. She explained about Zod and the Kandorians."_

_Chloe's shoulders slumped in what Lois thought was relief. "I'm sorry, Lois," she said quietly. "For all the times I've lied. I was only trying to protect—"_

"_Clark," Lois finished with a nod of understanding. _

"_No, you," Chloe corrected. "Clark always said that those who knew his secret were always in the greater danger. And it's true – if you look at what happened to me and Jimmy… and some other things that I'll tell you about someday… Lois, the reason no one told you was to protect you."_

_Lois stared at her cousin, incredulous. "If I had known, Chloe… I could have-"_

"—_what? Stopped him? Lois, I tried. I didn't want him to go."_

"_I could have told him that I love him," Lois said in a whisper, tears suddenly in her eyes._

"_Lois, Clark made the bigger sacrifice. He had to save his people."_

"_I know, Chloe. I know I sound selfish. And maybe I am… but I want to learn about Clark. I talked to Oliver and I want to be a part of the team. I need to do this for myself. To somehow find closure…"_

_Chloe reached across the sofa and hugged her cousin. "I'm glad you know. And the team will be happy to have you."_

~\S/~

Lois stepped into Watchtower, noticing Chloe was already setting up the video conference to talk with the heroes. Kara was there, and Lois greeted her with a smile.

"Since that press conference, the media has been in a frenzy over what Luthor meant by answering your question. They're talking preemptive war, Lois," Chloe said.

Lois sat her purse on a chair and shrugged out of her jacket. "I know. But what can we do about it?"

Chloe switched to another computer screen . "I've been doing some digging with Tess. Luthor was definitely killed all those years ago. This is nothing but a clone. But Lois, I think we're in more danger than that."

"Why? What did you find out?"

"Well, I think he's being controlled by a version of Brainiac."

"Who or what on earth is a Brainiac?" Lois asked, intrigued and baffled as she always was when she learned something new about what she considered Clark and Chloe's secret Kryptonian world.

Chloe exchanged glances with Kara, who chimed in. "Actually, it's from Krypton. It's an artificial intelligence that Jor-El created. There are good and bad versions of it. They manage to jump time with the Legion ring."

Chloe gestured to a picture on her screen. "I think one of the bad versions is in the President's Cabinet. The Secretary of Defense, to be precise."

Lois recognized the photo. "Ryan Teague always did give me the creeps… So what do we do about it?"

"Well, we'd need the help of Jor-El or if we can get to the future and contact Brainiac 5, a benevolent version of the super computer, we might have a chance. But using the Legion ring is risky, as you well know—"

Lois was thoughtful a moment, but then nodded. "So that leaves Jor-El."

Chloe turned to Lois. "And as far as I know, no one has been to the Fortress since Clark—disappeared."

Kara confirmed with a nod. "I've been there, but Jor-El hasn't been responsive."

Suddenly, the heroes began signing on into the video conference circle. The three of them headed over to greet the League.

"Where's Ollie?" Chloe asked.

"Right here," he said as he entered Watchtower. He came over to them and wrapped his arm around Chloe's waist as he stepped into the circle. She reached up to give him a quick kiss.

Lois watched, trying not to feel envious. She loved both Chloe and Oliver, and was happy they had found each other. But her own loneliness was eating her alive inside. The man she loved may never return, and she had a hard time letting go of him. Chloe had even tried to set her up on a few dates, but inevitably, she'd compare the poor guy to Clark and they would always come up wanting.

Once all the heroes signed in, Lois, Chloe, and Kara began briefing them on the press conference with President Luthor and Chloe shared her idea about Brainiac.

"I thought Kal-El destroyed the evil Brainiac a long time ago," said Cyborg.

Chloe nodded. "He did. But the good version of Brainiac, Brainiac 5, indicates that there were a few versions in between and unaccounted for. We are dealing with one of those versions."

"Can the Legion help us?" asked Oliver.

"I don't think so," Chloe answered. "It would mean putting on the ring, and Lois was the last one to do that. The ring is unpredictable. Without Clark—I don't know what to do. We need to get to the Fortress and try to speak with Jor-El. But Kara hasn't had any luck…"

"You've been to the Fortress, Kara?" John Jones asked.

"Yes. It was before Clark left. Jor-El warned me about Luthor, which was why I got a job with the State Department. I've been there since, and… nothing."

"From what I know, Jor-El is temperamental. If our team goes up there, maybe he'll talk," Chloe suggested.

"I could fly out there and we could at least try," Oliver offered.

"It could be a wasted journey," John warned.

"But it sounds like the only option we have," Star Girl chimed in.

"Anyone up for a trip to the Arctic?" Oliver asked, glancing at the monitors. "Would rather not face an alien ice castle alone, if at all possible."

"I'll go with you, amigo," said Bart. "Lickety split, I can be in Metropolis to fly."

"Ice is no fun to swim through. I can be in the city tomorrow," added AC.

Oliver nodded in affirmation. "Okay. I'll check our provisions. We'll meet on the roof of Queen Tower in Metropolis tomorrow night at 9."

~\S/~

As Lois drove home to her apartment that night, she couldn't stop thinking about the Legion ring. She had learned about what it had done to her from Chloe, that it had taken her to the future. She had had vague memories about that strange trip, all of which had been unsettling, and one night after a bottle and a half of wine, she had gotten Chloe to explain some of what had happened.

"_Did Clark have anything to do with my three weeks of blocked memory?" Lois asked towards the end of their drink fest. It was three in the morning, and they had been talking for hours, catching up after Lois came back from Africa. "All I remember was putting on a strange gold ring and – poof. I woke up on a monorail with a ninja chick after me. At the time, I hadn't a clue as to what had happened, but after all I've learned about Clark—"_

"_What exactly do you remember?" Chloe asked, a little guardedly._

_Lois shrugged and took another sip of wine. "Strange things… I can't even articulate what I saw. I remember having flashbacks, but it was as if those memories were somehow wiped out… I just remember feeling scared, sad… and-"_

"_And what, Lois?"_

_Lois bit her lip. "I remember feeling- close to Clark… But that's it. I just have these vague sensations… what the hell happened, do you think?"_

_Chloe reached for the wine bottle and refilled her glass. "Lois, you time-traveled," Chloe answered succinctly._

"_What?" Lois sputtered. "How is that even possible?"_

_Chloe rolled her eyes. "How is it possible for there to be an alien like Clark on Earth?"_

_Lois nodded, punctuated by a reluctant laugh. "Touché, I suppose… So, what else do you know?"_

_Chloe leveled her gaze at Lois. Her eyes were glassy from the alcohol but she seemed sober, direct. "That you traveled to the future. Clark actually saw some of your memories - we were trying to stop Zod, and believed that you had traveled to a future where he had taken over the world."_

"_Unbelievable… How did Clark see my memories?"_

_Chloe got up from the floor, gathering the empty wine bottles to take into the kitchen. "A story for another time perhaps. There's a lot you still don't know, Lois."_

_Lois bit her lip, frustrated that she still wasn't privy to so many secrets. "Are my memories why Clark fought Zod, then?" Lois asked eventually._

"_Lois, you can't blame yourself. If anything, you should be glad that you had seen something about Zod. You actually saved us."_

_Lois studied her glass a moment, and then laughed, her hazel eyes suddenly light with mirth. "I can't believe I time-traveled and don't remember a damn thing. Some luck, huh?"_

"_Don't feel too bad, Lois. From what I heard, you saw an apocalyptic nightmare. I think it's probably a good thing you don't remember much of it."_

"That ring…" Lois said aloud, suddenly changing her course towards the farm.

Lois did some mental calculations of the risks. The team was headed to the Arctic with little or no chance of reaching Jor-El. If she put on the ring, could she make it take her to the Legion, to try and locate this Brainiac 5?

She knew the ring was rather unpredictable, and she felt nervous at the thought that she wouldn't be able to control when or where it sent her. What if it sent her back to when Clark was still on Earth? That sent a thrill of trepid excitement through her, though she understood she had to stay focused on the larger mission.

But she was convinced now. She had to do this.

Lois started speeding once she hit the fields outside Smallville, her heart pounding. How long would she be gone?

Lois pulled up to the Kent farmhouse a little while later. She grabbed her flashlight and headed towards the barn. She hadn't been here in ages, and without anyone to work in the barn regularly, it smelled musty. She sneezed as she headed up the creaky stairs of the loft, kicking up dust on her way. She reached the landing and made her way to the old desk. There, she found a lamp and turned it on, the light blinking slightly before it remained on, a little weak shower of yellow glow. The whole table was covered in dust – just as Clark had left it three years before.

"If only I can find that ring…" she whispered to the semi-darkness. She started digging through the drawers, knowing it could be hidden anywhere. But it took her less than five minutes to locate it. She pulled out a black box, larger than for your average piece of jewelry, and found it. The "L" on the insignia winked in the lamplight she held it under to be sure it was the same ring.

She had a moment's hesitation, knowing that Chloe would worry about her, and that the team would be angry that she had not told them of her plan. But she knew they would try to stop her, and she felt she had to do this. That this was her one chance of making things right, of becoming a real member of the team.

Lois slipped on the ring, and concentrated on an unknowable future. Yet despite her earnest desire to find Brainiac 5, her thoughts kept being drawn back to Clark…

~\S/~

Lois awoke, lying in a field of sand. The wind whipped around her, and she had to fight to stand up. She could make out various rocky hills in the landscape through the sand whipping through the area, but nothing was recognizable. Her eyes strained to see through the sand clouds, and she thought she could make out two suns in the sky…

Was this the future? A desolate landscape destroyed by Lex Luthor?

She began to wander, feeling panicked about where and when the ring had taken her. She glanced down at it, wondering if she should try to make it take her back to the present. But she knew she had learned something important in her last trek to the future. Maybe the ring had sent her here for a purpose. Maybe the Legion was somewhere in this desolate landscape.

Lois felt weak from the hot suns beaming down on her, and her legs quickly grew weary from trudging through the sand. She came upon a hill, and saw a red lake moving slowly below her. Suddenly, the land looked eerily familiar. Out of a nightmare…. she realized she had been here before. With Clark.

At the time, she had thought they had been abducted by aliens. She never got to ask Chloe or the other heroes about this particular strange trip in her memories, but she knew it was somehow related to Clark's heritage.

She spotted two figures in the distance heading her way. Her first thought was to hide, remembering the strange zombie encounters from before, but there was no place to go. She stood on a sand dune, and the only direction she could see to go in was down towards the red lake. Lois turned to head that way, still uncertain what good it would do. If those people were after her, they'd eventually catch up to her. Out in this wasteland, she was an open target.

Lois skidded down the hill, using her hand on the sand dunes for balance. Halfway down, her ankle connected with a rock, causing her to trip the rest of the way down the hill. She landed at the bottom, and could see a large gash just above her anklebone. She glanced up, expecting at any moment to see two figures on the hill above her.

No one was there. She was safe for the moment.

Lois yanked at her t-shirt, trying to tear a scrap of fabric off to wrap her ankle.

She managed to get a strip of her shirt torn off and did her best to wipe the sand from the wound before wrapping it. She needed water, but the red lake didn't exactly look sanitary.

Lois scrambled to her feet, just as the two men came to stand above her on the crest of the hill.

"Halt! In the name of Zod!" yelled one of the soldiers.

_Zod?_ What was he doing here?

She thought about running, but knew she wouldn't get very far with her ankle, and besides, there was nowhere to run to. She could also see they were armed with some sort of guns. The last thing she needed was to get herself shot.

She had the ring. If worse came to worst, she'd use it to get home. Reflexively, she glanced at her hand – the ring was gone! Had it slipped off when she slid down the hill?

"Don't shoot," she said, lifting her arms in the air, suddenly feeling quite panicked. "I'm injured."

One of the men nodded to his buddy, and the other guy ran down the hill towards her. She made a move to try and climb back up the hill to look for the ring, but the guard got to her before she could.

"What are you doing in the Phantom Zone?"

"The Phantom Zone? I just got here… I don't even know how," she said, noticing one of the guards spotted her ring in the sand and bent to pick it up.

"That's mine," she said, making a reach for it.

"Not so fast," answered the guard with a smirk as he tucked the ring into his pocket. "You're our prisoner until General Zod decides what to do with you."

The man grabbed her hands and cuffed them, pulling her harshly by the arm, to march her back up the hill.

_Why didn't you let that sleeping dog lie, Lois? _she chided herself, suddenly wishing she were back on the Kent farm. She was doomed… unless Kara somehow figured out she was in the Phantom Zone, she had no way to get back to Earth.


	3. Chapter 3

Lois walked for what seemed like an hour, dragged by Zod's goons. She was parched with thirst, and her lips felt dry and were peeling from the heat. She was dizzy, and would have killed for a maple donut… or even a glass of water.

The suns seemed to beat down stronger the longer they walked. At last, they came to a structure carved out of the stone hills. There were people, unkempt and cruel-looking, milling about. "Where are we?" Lois managed to ask. "I—need water…"

"First we are taking you to see General Zod," said one of the guards harshly, tugging her harder than necessary into the cave opening.

They came to a large room, half surrounded by the cave walls, yet also exposed to enough sunlight that the room was fairly bright. Zod, Lois could see, was seated on a sort of throne made up of bones. It made her shudder to wonder where those bones had come from…

"General Zod, we found a human wandering out in the deserts."

Zod stood from his throne, a lazy smile of wicked delight on his face. "Well, well. If it isn't Lois Lane," he mused quietly, in a voice that sent a chill of fear down Lois' spine. "How ever did you get here?"

Suddenly, a wonderfully familiar voice echoed from across the room, breaking through her rising despair, "Lois!"

Lois turned, her heart in her throat at that voice. Her eyes desperately searched for the face to match the voice that she hadn't heard for three years, that she feared she'd never hear again.

Time stopped for just a moment, with Zod looking on and her arms gaining bruises from the rough handling by the guardsman, as her eyes finally saw him, across the room standing in a cell.

"Cll-aark?" she whispered, her throat suddenly clogged with hope and tears.

"Ah, what a touching reunion," said Zod derisively, gesturing to the cage on his left. "Have a look, Lois. Look at what's become of your Clark Kent!"

Lois tugged her arms out of those of the guards, and they let her go as Zod gestured for them to release her. Despite her ankle, she made her way over to the cell, desperate to see him, to touch him.

She fell to her knees by the cell, overwhelmed. Clark kneeled in front of her, his kind and beautiful blue eyes staring back at her.

"Clark! I never thought I'd see you again!" she said, not noticing or caring that tears were streaming down her face.

Clark's hand came through the bars and cupped her cheek, still as strong and reassuring as she remembered it. "Lois, what are you doing here?" he asked, agonized.

"I—I have so much to tell you," she said honestly, her eyes drinking in his features.

"That's enough," came Zod's voice from over her shoulder. He grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her up to a standing position.

"Let her go, Zod!" Clark cried, as Lois was pulled away from where Clark was imprisoned to stand in the center of the chamber.

"What are you going to do with me, Zod?" she asked, feeling a little stronger knowing Clark was there.

"I haven't decided… though things have gotten infinitely more interesting with you here…" he said, circling around her like a predator.

Lois' eyes kept going to Clark's, a mere ten feet away, yet so far. "Why is Clark locked up in a cage? What have you done to him?" she demanded.

Zod stopped his circling in front of her, crowding her personal space as he stood practically toe to toe with her. "He dared to usurp my rule, my birthright."

"Leave her out of this, Zod!" Clark shouted. "She knows nothing about you and me!"

Lois held her tongue, knowing it would probably make things worse to blurt out that she knew the truth about Clark. Zod would find a way to use it against her.

"Why make me your prisoner? Why not let me go? It's not like I can get back to Earth, you might as well let me wander the desert," she taunted, despite feeling dizzy and having trouble catching her breath. Her ankle was throbbing with pain, and she was dehydrated. But Clark was here. That's all that mattered. His presence gave her the courage to defy Zod.

"Seeing you squirm is far better entertainment," Zod hissed in her ear. He looked over at Clark's cage, "Especially knowing that he can't do anything about it."

Zod gestured to his guardsmen, and suddenly Lois was taken to another cell, on the opposite side of the room from where Clark was. They would be separated, but at least they were close enough to see and talk to each other.

"Leave her the water, but don't give her anything else. I'll decide her fate later," Zod said to his guard. "Watch them carefully. I'll make my decision when I return."

Lois was thrust into the tiny cell. There was nothing inside except a pitcher of water. It looked clear and she prayed it was clean as she tentatively took a sip. Thankfully, it was cool and refreshing.

"Don't drink it all at once, Lois," she heard Clark say. "If you're dehydrated—"

"I know, Smallville. Don't you think the General taught me survival skills?" She said between large gulps.

"Smallville," he echoed, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I never thought I'd hear you call me that again."

Lois took another sip, and then began the painful task of unwrapping her ankle.

"Lois, you're hurt!"

She glanced up, warmed by his concerned expression. God, how she had missed him. "I'll be fine… How did you end up here?" she asked as she carefully took the cleaner part of the bandage to wipe away the blood with the water.

"I—made a lot of mistakes… Zod has only held me here for a few days, though," he began, and she could hear him sigh wearily. "How about you? How did you—"

Lois looked up from her ministrations, her eyes meeting Clark's despite the distance and the cell bars. "The Legion ring," she said without preamble, knowing the questions that statement would provoke.

He leaned forward intently, as if he wasn't sure he heard her right. "The Legion ring? How do you know about-"

She stared at him a long moment, bittersweet memories coming back to her about how he had lied, even if it had been to protect her. "Clark - I _know_," she said, taking in a steady breath.

"Know what, Lois?" he asked softly, and she could see worry, the desire to run and hide all over his face. She almost wanted to laugh, if their circumstance wasn't so dire. Did he really expect her not to figure it out,especially now?

She finished tying the bandage and moved her hair out of her face. "I know you were – are the Blur," she said simply.

She heard him sigh, and he nodded in resignation as he looked down at his feet. His striking eyes met hers though as he spoke, "I suppose there is no point in hiding it from you now, is there?"

"I figured it out the night you—disappeared. The night you kissed me as the Blur," she confessed quietly.

Lois felt tears well up in her eyes, remembering all those lonely days without him, trying to forget him, trying to understand him. "I know you were doing what you thought was right. Your mom and Chloe explained a lot to me… I – guess I have just struggled with understanding why you didn't tell me… " Lois pulled another strip from her t-shirt, leaving her with little more than a halter top, and began rewrapping her ankle. "I know you wanted to protect me, Clark… but to not even say good-bye…"

"I did, Lois…" he said in a voice strangled with emotion. "In the only way I could, by showing you with that kiss how I feel about you."

She was quiet for a moment, thinking. "I thought you were gone forever… yet, for three years I've held on to a little bit of hope that somehow-"

"Three years?" he interrupted, incredulous.

She wiped the tears from her eyes to look at him. "Yeah, why?"

"I – I've been gone about eight months, to my estimate at least. Lois, I'm sorry," he said simply, his hand reaching through the bars, as if he could touch her. "But we'll find a way back, I promise," he whispered lower, conscious of the guards' ears nearby.

She nodded in understanding.

Clark glanced again at the guards. "Lois, do you still have the ring?" he half whispered, half mimed.

She shook her head regretfully. "One of the guards has it," she nodded in the direction of the guard she referred to. "Clark? Are we stuck here?"

He shook his head. "The crystal that Zod wears around his neck," he whispered. "It will take us back."

She eyed him carefully, seeing that he had a bruise under his left eye. Wasn't the Blur invincible? "Clark, do—do you have your powers?" she asked hesitantly, feeling like she was prying a bit into this new territory. Yet his warm gaze reassured her that he didn't mind the question.

"No… I don't have my abilities in the Phantom Zone," he said, almost apologetically.

She nodded, and sighed with resignation. "Then how will we get out of here?"

"We'll find a way, Lois. No one is going to mess with Lois and Clark, right?" he said, a smile on his lips, and she nodded, remembering that long ago time when they had been trapped in the Phantom Zone before.

"Right. They better not." And she gamely smiled back at him.

~\S/~

Chloe tried Lois' cell phone for the third time. Where was she? She was supposed to be back at Watchtower to keep her company as they monitored the progress of the heroes. Chloe sighed with worry, hoping that Lois hadn't gotten herself into trouble.

A few moments earlier, she had received a message from Oliver that they were approaching the Arctic. No one knew what they would find, or even if they could communicate with Jor-El when they got there.

Chloe started surfing the internet to check the news, nervous about what President Luthor was getting the country into. The heroes had worked hard to try to inform the public about the danger of electing him, but somehow, their nightmare had come to pass anyway.

"Clark, the world needs you," she murmured, missing her best friend now more than ever.

Her scan of the internet stopped when she caught a news story on one of the major networks. It wasn't a headline, but a side story, and it sent a thrill of fear through her.

"_Linda Danvers, agent for the Department of Domestic Security, has been arrested, charged with conspiring against the President."_

"Kara!" she cried out involuntarily. "I can't believe this…" She clicked on the article, though it didn't offer anything concrete. Just vague presumptions about Ms. Danvers wanting to take down President Luthor and that she was being detained at a government facility.

Chloe reached for her cell and dialed Oliver. They had to move quickly. Who knew what Lex would do to Kara nor what he was planning to do with all of the nukes suddenly in his possession.

Chloe hoped that Jor-El wouldn't let them down… Without Clark, he might be their only hope of stopping Brainiac.

~\S/~

Oliver spotted the Fortress across the ice desert. He had always been wary of getting too involved with anything Kryptonian, and he couldn't shake the fear that rippled through him now. He almost wished he had paid a little more attention when Clark would go off on a tangent about his origins or Jor-El. As it were, Oliver just knew that this alien fortress somehow housed a replica of Clark's Kryptonian father. The Kryptonians they had dealt with in the past had always been difficult; he expected no less from Jor-El in this sortie.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive," said Cyborg, letting out a low whistle, watching how the sunlight played on the crystalline structure.

"Yeah, well, let's just hope Jor-El sees us as friends and not the enemy," Oliver said, as they landed a few yards away from the Fortress.

The team climbed out of the helicopter, each seemingly a little wary of the foreign territory they were about to enter.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go," Oliver said, and headed inside through the crystalline archway.

The crystals inside seemed to give off their own light. Though they seemed low and muted, they also hummed with a sort of energy that was a bit unnerving.

"Anybody home?" Oliver called. "Jor-El!"

The room hummed to a low rumble, as the caves lit up brighter and Jor-El spoke. "I await Kal-El's return."

"Yeah, well, we don't know if that's going to happen," AC chimed in.

Oliver stepped forward. "Look, we are Kal-El's friends. With him gone, we came to ask for your help. Can you tell us anything about Brainiac?"

The Fortress seemed quiet for a long moment, and the heroes thought Jor-El wouldn't answer.

Just as Oliver turned to leave, Jor-El spoke again. "There is an incarnation of Brainiac again on the Earth, Brainiac 3. It's much more destructive than its predecessor. Kal-El must stop it before it destroys the Earth."

"Only one problem there – Kal-El is no longer on the Earth. He's been gone for three years, trying to help your people," Oliver spat bitterly.

Cyborg put his hand on Oliver to calm him. "Jor-El, is there anything we can do to stop Brainiac, even if Kal-El doesn't return?"

"Kara could use the Crystal of El to banish Brainiac 3 to the Phantom Zone. That is your only hope."

Oliver shook his head. "And what if Kara doesn't have this crystal?"

"She'll have it," Cyborg insisted. "We have to believe she does."

"If she has it, why hasn't she used it yet then on Brainiac?" Oliver asked.

"That's a legit question… Maybe she doesn't know what it does? But even if she doesn't have it, perhaps it's in Clark's possessions," suggested AC.

"One way or another, we know what we have to do," Oliver said, nodding at the other team members. He glanced up into the cavernous crystal walls and nodded, "Thanks for your help."

~\S/~

On the way back to Metropolis, somewhere over Canada, the team was able to pick up radio signals again.

Oliver heard a text come through his phone and handed the helicopter controls over to Cyborg to check his messages.

"_Luthor has Kara under arrest. Any answers from Jor-El? Love, Chloe."_

Oliver turned to his team, so full of hope and purpose when they had left the Fortress, and now he had to crush that hope. "Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Chloe just texted that Luthor has locked up Kara."

"Find out where. That's where we should head next," Cyborg suggested.

Oliver nodded and quickly texted Chloe back to get their next destination.

~\S/~

Lois had somehow fallen asleep in the cramped cell. She awoke to Zod returning to the chamber. The sunlight still shined in brightly and she had no way of gauging just how long she had been sleeping.

She expected Zod to come to her cell, but instead he sauntered over to where Clark was. Clark's eyes met Zod's, and even from across the room, Lois could see the challenge in them.

"Let her go, Zod. Lois is of no use to you here!" Clark said, his anger held barely in check. "Look at her! She's starving and injured. She'll die out here! She isn't like you and me!"

Lois wanted to cry out that he was wrong, that she was stronger than what he was describing. But she could feel how dizzy she was from lack of food, and her ankle was throbbing with pain, clearly in need of medical attention.

"I'll be all right, Clark," she said, wishing she sounded stronger than the strange whisper that emerged from her parched throat.

"No, she isn't like us, Kal-El," Zod said menacingly. "That is precisely the point. She was the one that divided us on Earth. You cared for her more than your own people."

"You're wrong! I sacrificed myself and my life on Earth so that my people might live! Our people!"

"Ah, but Clark, your heart was never in it," Zod clucked regretfully. He glanced over at Lois, a sinister smile on his lips. He turned back to Clark, his hands clasped behind his back as he paced in front of his cell. "But there is one way you can prove yourself, one way to be redeemed in my eyes and in the eyes of our people. Prove once and for all that you put them above the humans – kill Lois Lane."

Clark's jaw ticked in restrained anger. He glanced across at Lois and she tried a weak smile, trying to convey that they'd somehow get through this.

Clark spoke slowly, deliberately, seemingly hoping to break the haze of hubris that Zod had wrapped himself in. "Zod, the Phantom Zone has made you delusional. You've become drunk with power. You know that I could never hurt Lois... Jor-El would be ashamed of what you have become."

"You drove me to become this!" Zod said in answer, slamming his palm angrily against Clark's cage. "You were always convinced that you were better than me, and drove our people away from me, away from my birthright to rule! On Earth you talked of brotherhood, but all you really wanted was power!"

"That's a lie! I never wanted anything but to help the Kandorians… Please, just let Lois go!"

Zod laughed and pulled out a gold ring on a chain around his neck. "I have her only means of returning to Earth right here, Kal-El. She'll die here and by your hand... Or I'll kill you both, and be done with you, once and for all." Zod turned on his heels and nodded to nearby guards. "Give them weapons. They'll battle to the death."

Lois stood up in the cell, shaking. But she wouldn't show fear. Clark would find a way out of this, she knew he would. He was her hero, and she wasn't about to stop believing in him now.

"No one messes with Lois and Clark. No one messes with us," she mumbled, over and over, like a mantra. She glanced up at Clark, who tried to make eye contact with her while the guards gave him a shield and sword.

"No one," he mouthed back, but his brow was wrinkled in concern.

Her own cell door suddenly opened and she was tossed a sword and shield like Clark's. She looked at them fearfully. With a gun in her hand, she would have had more confidence, but these medieval weapons were so foreign and so menacing that she wasn't sure how to even hold them.

She glanced at Clark, and he gave her an encouraging smile, showing her how to hold the sword and shield from across the room.

Lois got them comfortably in her grip, and then they were both led to the center of the chamber, the gallery filling in with Kandorians to watch the spectacle.

"Begin!" cried Zod, to the raucous cheers of the men around them.

Clark and Lois circled each other, each unsure how they should proceed. Lois threw a test swing of the sword at his shield, the jarring sensation going through her arm. "Clark, I can't do this," she whispered fervently.

Calm as always, Clark nodded. "You can. I have an idea. Injure me – I'll take the fall. I'm hoping Zod will want to jump in and I will try to get the crystal from him."

"That's some crazy plan, Clark! What if it doesn't work?" she whispered, as they continued to circle each other. The jeering crowd was getting restless, they were waiting for action and both knew they couldn't keep up this pretense for long.

"It will work. Trust me… now fight, Lois!" he said louder, coming at her but carefully managing to avoid hitting her.

"Coward!" shouted Zod. "Go after her with purpose! Or I'll do the job myself!"

Lois met Clark's eyes and they faced off beginning to swing blows at each other, though mostly aiming for each other's shields.

"Lois, now!" Clark whispered, sidestepping a blow. "I'll be all right. It's the only way to end this!"

Lois was shaking, sweating with the effort at simply staying alive. She felt lightheaded and sick to her stomach. But she wanted to get back to Smallville. That was her hope, and this her only chance – she had to hurt Clark!

She lifted the sword and swung it like a golf club, slicing into Clark's side. "Clark!" she cried out involuntarily, and the sword and shield clattered out of her hands. "I'm sorry! Clark! Look at me, are you all right?" she asked, hysterical, as he fell to his knees in front of her.

"I can see that neither of you are suited to finish this job," Zod said snidely, silencing the crowd with a gesture. He came over to where the two were on the ground, Lois hovering over Clark, shaking and in tears. Clark didn't seem responsive, and she worried that she had done more than just injure him.

She glanced behind her and saw Zod, lifting a scimitar-like knife high over his head, aiming at Clark. The gold Legion ring and the crystal were within reach, dangling around his neck, and she grabbed them, just as Clark stood up to slash Zod's leg with his sword.

Lois tossed Clark the crystal, and before either of them could stop it, Clark's blood touched the crystal's surface, sending him away – back to Earth, but leaving Lois on her knees, watching in horror as she was left behind.

For a moment, she couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Zod was on the ground, writhing in pain, and his foot soldiers seemed to be waiting for a signal from him. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but she realized she was still clutching the Legion ring and she quickly put it on, hoping against hope that it would take her back to Smallville, and back to Clark.


	4. Chapter 4

Lois awoke in a field of wheat. Her eyes blinked against the bright sun overhead. Carefully, she sat up, adrenaline suddenly pumping through her system as she wondered what had happened and where she had ended up.

Looking around, she could see the Kent farmhouse across the field. She got to her feet as joy poured through her. She'd made it back! She was back in Smallville!

Lois ran across the field, though her injured ankle slowed her down a bit. Tears were streaming down her face and she thought she'd faint from hunger, but she raced through the grasses to that beacon of hope, the Kent farmhouse.

She reached the steps, not believing anyone would be there. Was she back in her own time? If she were, then the house would practically be abandoned. Though the paint looked fresh and the front porch swept. She felt a moment's trepidation, wondering if she had somehow been tossed into the future or even into the past.

"Hello?" she called, coming up to the screen door.

"Since when do you knock?" said a teasing male voice from behind her.

She turned with a huge sigh of relief and threw her arms around Clark. "We made it back! Clark we made it!" she cried into his neck.

Clark's arm went around her awkwardly. "Lois, what happened? What are you talking about?"

Suddenly, the front door swung open and out stepped Lana carrying a tray. "I made the lemonade. Do you wa—Lois? What happened? Are you all right?"

Lois suddenly stilled, and carefully stepped out of Clark's embrace, words clogging her throat as realization dawned. She wasn't in her time… she was in the past. The past when Clark and Lana were in love…

Lois felt suddenly very dizzy. The sun felt too warm, and she was dying for something to eat. She clutched the rail of the porch and tried to pull herself up the stairs.

"Lois? Are you all right?" Clark asked, his warm hand steadying her back.

"I think- I think I'm going to be sick," she said, right before her world went dark.

~\S/~

As Chloe waited at Watchtower to hear from the heroes, she received a call from John Jones. He rarely called her, which immediately made her worried.

"John? What is it?" Chloe answered in a rush.

"I need you come to the downtown precinct as soon as you can," he said in a calm tone, though there was an underlying urgency in his voice.

Chloe was instantly alarmed. "Why? What happened? Have you located Kara?"

"I can't tell you over the phone, Chloe. Meet me here as soon as you can. Tell the front guard I asked for you and they'll let you in."

"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes," she said, grabbing her purse to head out the door.

Chloe texted Oliver on her way that she wouldn't be at Watchtower because something important had come up with John Jones. The team was already making their way to Washington, hoping to locate Kara.

Chloe left Watchtower, and within minutes pulled into a parallel parking spot across from the police precinct office. She quickly crossed the street and got out her ID to show the guard. "Chloe Sullivan to see John Jones."

The guard barely looked at her, as he nodded for her to enter. "OK, set your purse here to be checked. Take off all belts and jewelry," the guy said in a bored tone, as if he said the same phrases a hundred times a day.

Chloe did as she was asked, and after running the scan wand over her person a few times more than she thought necessary, he finally let her through.

John was waiting for her at the front desk. He was usually a very cool, methodical guy, but she could see something was distressing him by a tick in his jaw, as if he kept masticating on a thought over and over again.

"How are you, Chloe?" he asked, a decidedly uncharacteristic question coming from John.

"Fine. Why? What is going on? What wouldn't you tell me on the phone?"

He led her down a hallway, "Follow me. And prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself? For what?" she asked, growing alarmed with each step.

He stopped walking, a forthright expression on his face as he turned to her. "Just know that he doesn't remember anything… I am hoping that he may remember you since you've known him the longest… but it may take time."

"Who? John, you're making me nervous. Just what are you talking about?"

They came to a secure door, which John flashed a card at the side panel to open. They entered a holding area with several secure rooms. "He didn't do anything wrong, I just had nowhere to contain him. He was found at a homeless shelter, completely lost and confused. He doesn't even remember what he's capable of—"

Chloe suddenly felt a dormant hope surge through her. The emotion came out of her in the form of a startled gasp just as John blocked the door to a room in front of where they had stopped.

"I haven't told anyone else yet."

He stepped aside, allowing Chloe to enter the small room. Her hand stilled on the doorknob though, as she peered into the small window and saw her best friend for the first time in three years.

Clark sat at a table, his head in his hands. He wore a ragged t-shirt and jeans, his hair mussed and probably dirty. He looked defeated and disheveled.

"What happened to him?" she asked, disheartened at seeing him in this state.

John shrugged with a sigh. "I don't know. He has to get his memory back first before we can learn what happened. I thought of taking him to the Fortress, and we still may try that, but I have no idea if Jor-El is still a viable option at this point—"

"I heard from Oliver. Jor-El told them about the Crystal of El. Either Clark or Kara has it – but John, Lex has Kara." Chloe turned to him thoughtfully, momentarily distracted from the reappearance of Clark.

"Do you know where?"

She shrugged with a sigh. "There was a press statement that said she was picked up in Washington. The team is starting there. There's no telling where Lex will send her, though. Can you try to find out anything through the police?"

"I will do what I can, of course. But meanwhile…" he gestured towards Clark.

"Meanwhile I have to try and get Clark's memory back."

John nodded. "Try to talk to him. He was frightened of me… I wasn't sure what to do." Chloe made a move to enter the room, but John laid his hand on her shoulder. "I tried calling Lois first, but she didn't answer."

"I know. I hope she's all right. She'll want to see Clark as soon as possible."

"I'm sure Lois is fine. We have to first concentrate on getting Clark's memory back. Then we have to deal with Lex."

Chloe nodded, stepping into the room, the door closing behind her. The only sound was the low buzzing hum of the florescent lights above them. "Clark?" she said cautiously, her voice sounding oddly hollow in the empty room.

His head shot up, his eyes a striking blue that bore into her. He looked frightened for a moment, and then sighed. "Where am I?" he asked calmly, allowing Chloe to release the breath she'd been holding in herself.

He sounded like himself, even if he didn't know who he was. There was no anger in him, though perhaps a bit of fear—and a calm resignation to his circumstances. Physically he seemed leaner, if stronger, like he'd been fighting. There were smudges of dirt on him, but no scars, no wounds. She assumed he had his powers, but she wasn't sure if he was aware of that fact.

She stepped towards him, and his eyes narrowed, assessing her. "Do I know you?" he asked hesitantly.

She nodded, as unexpected tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. She had missed her best friend. Chloe cleared her throat as she moved to sit in the chair opposite of him. "I'm—a friend," she managed to get out, concerned that he would feel in any way that he couldn't trust her.

"What am I doing here? Is this some kind of holding cell?" He got up suddenly, making her flinch, and moved to look around the room. But he didn't try the door or touch the plate-glassed window. _Did he know what he was capable of? That he could easily open that door and leave?_

"We're going to get you out of here, but first, I—I need you to trust me," she said levelly. "Do you know anything about what happened to you?"

He shook his head. "I—fell. From where or why, I don't know. I hit my head when I landed and I think I blacked out. I woke up in a bad neighborhood and found a homeless shelter…" His hand went to feel the back of his head, and he gave her a puzzled look. "The thing is, I don't have a scratch on me. But—I don't remember anything else… " His shoulders slumped, but then he turned to her. "You said you were a friend? What's your name?"

"Chloe Sullivan," she said. "We've known each other a long time."

He didn't seem convinced. "And why should I believe you?"

She sighed. "I can't prove anything to you here. But at the farm, there's your high school yearbook. We've known each other since our freshman year." She stepped closer to him, warily, afraid he might accidentally hurt her if he was indeed unaware of his powers. "If you trust me, I'll help you get your memory back. Actually… I helped you once before," she mused, remembering.

"Really? Is this a regular occurrence with me?" he asked.

She laughed, "No, not at all. But it has happened before."

"I just want to get out of here," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Then let's go," she said as she rang the door for John to come back. "You can come with me. And together we can get your memory back."

"Why won't you tell me who I am?" he said, suddenly suspicious again.

She hesitated for a moment, but decided it wouldn't hurt to give him some facts to work with. Slow and steady though, so he wasn't overwhelmed by the truth at once. "You're Clark Kent. You grew up on a farm in Smallville, Kansas. Does that help?" she offered.

"Somehow I don't feel like a farm boy," he said thoughtfully.

Chloe felt her lips curl up in a smile. "Well, let's just say you're a very special farm boy. Now, let's get you out of here."

~\S/~

"Lois? Lois answer me. Are you OK?" Clark was by her side, a concerned expression on his face. She thought maybe she was inside, on the sofa.

"Smallville?" she croaked out, her throat parched.

Suddenly, a glass of water was held to her lips, "Here, have some water," Clark said gently. She took a few sips, and then tried to sit up. She felt her ankle throb in pain, and her stomach rumble with hunger, and it all suddenly came back to her.

The Phantom Zone.

Clark – disappearing into who knows where…

And Lana .

The headache came back with a vengeance.

Even though Clark was right before her, she had never felt so far away from him. This wasn't the Clark who had saved her as the Blur, nor was he the Clark who had kissed her in the middle of the Daily Planet like his life depended on it.

This Clark's world still revolved around Lana.

"Lois, what happened?" he asked, his eyes full of concern, belying what she knew and was trying to keep to the fore. For a fleeting moment, Lois thought she could tell him everything, seeing his deep compassion and understanding. She felt a confession welling up, but seconds later, Lana appeared over his shoulder, holding an ice pack, and also metaphorically icing Lois' hope. He gave Lana a smile as he took the ice pack, and Lois felt herself retreat into her shell, seeing the loving look in his eyes as he turned to Lana. She never was a match for the Clark-Lana duo, and as much as she needed to reach out to Clark now, she didn't have the strength to do it with Lana standing there.

Clark took the ice pack and put it on her swollen ankle. It was freshly bandaged, evidence that someone had rewrapped it while she had been knocked out.

Though the ice was almost painfully cold, Clark's touch on her ankle was gentle. Lois fought tears that welled up, seeing him so easy-going, so relaxed. She wondered where he had disappeared to in the future, whether he was all right. She longed to discuss these things with Clark, but Lana's watchful presence stayed her tongue.

It wasn't just her own personal feelings for Clark. Lois didn't trust Lana. She knew that Lana had lied repeatedly to Clark and had learned from Chloe how Lana had manipulated him over the years. She didn't want to give Lana any more information than was necessary, worried how she might use it against Clark later.

"So, are you going to tell us what got you all beaten up?" Lana eventually asked, handing Lois a glass of lemonade, with an encouraging smile.

Lois took the glass and shrugged. "Um, you know me. Just- getting into trouble, I guess," she said, aiming for a light tone. She glanced at Clark, who still seemed to be scrutinizing her closely. "Got anything to eat around here?" she asked, starving, and unnerved by the two's attention.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go make you a sandwich," Lana offered after a moment.

"Thanks."

As Lana headed into the kitchen, a strained silence filled the room, intensified by Lois' inability to look in Clark's direction. She was torn between wanting to blurt out the truth to Clark and wanting to burst into tears, uncertain where the Clark of her present had disappeared to. Would the ring take her back or would it toss her to another time and place?

"Lois? What is it? You seem – different somehow. And not just because of the injuries. What's going on?" he asked, in that gently understanding way of his that was difficult to resist.

She shook her head, and glanced at him. "N—not now," she said. His brow wrinkled in concern, but he nodded.

Lois looked down at her hands, noticing the Legion ring. She stilled and glanced at Clark, wondering if he would recognize it. But instead, he only seemed puzzled by her reaction to it.

Lana's head suddenly popped around the corner. "Oh, Clark – I just got a call from Aunt Nell. She needs me to, um, go over and help with some do-it-yourself project she's gotten into…" Lana said airily, carrying in a plate with a sandwich, a bright smile on her face. Lois could immediately tell that Lana was lying, but Clark seemed to accept Lana's excuse without hesitation.

Lana set down the plate and Clark got up to give her a kiss good-bye. "See you later then," he said sweetly.

"Hope you feel better, Lois," Lana said, slinging her purse over her shoulder as she headed out the door.

Lois watched her leave in relief, hoping that now she could at least partly explain to Clark the truth.

Clark turned to her with purpose. "So, Lois… do you want to tell me what's going on now?"

Lois reached for the sandwich and took a few bites, relieved to finally have something to eat. She thought for a long moment, chewing both her thoughts and her sandwich carefully. "So, how do you think knowing the truth about your future in the past affects your future? Theoretically, I mean," she said, in between bites.

Clark gave her a puzzled glance.

"Answer the question, Smallville. Do you think knowing your future can affect that future if you learn about it in the past?"

"Lois, you're not making any sense. Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

She set the sandwich down and sighed, flashing him the Legion ring. "Do you know what this is?"

He shook his head. "Quite a bold piece of jewelry, even for you." When she didn't respond to his joke, he pushed her further. " Lois, what's going on?" he asked, now somewhat irritated.

"I—I'm from the future," she said straight out, testing the waters as to how much Clark might believe her.

"Wait, run that by me again."

She took a deep breath, as if preparing herself and turned to face him, head on. "It's a really long story, but the headline is this: I put on this ring—and traveled back in time."

"Lois, time travel is impossible," he said practically.

"No, it's not, Clark," she said with some exasperation. "Look, I know who you are – who you _really _are," she said pointedly. He stared at her blankly a moment, and then she gave up and blurted, "Kal-El, from Krypton. You came here from your doomed planet with the first meteor shower."

He continued to stare, as if afraid to confirm or deny her accusation. She stared back at him, admiring and yet equally frustrated by his ability to seem completely unfazed by her seemingly wild claims.

"How else would I know that, Clark?" she asked quietly after a long moment. "I'm telling you the truth. I traveled back in time."

His disbelieving eyes seemed to be trying to absorb the implications of what she was telling him. "How far back?" he asked eventually.

She swallowed, seeing he was coming around to seeing the truth. "Five years. But Clark – that's not the worst of it," she said, feeling the dormant tears well up, worrying about him in the future somewhere. "I don't know where you ended up."

"Me? What are you saying? Lois, start at the beginning. What happened?"

She looked up at him, remembering the look of love Lana had given him only moments ago. She knew she couldn't tell him the whole story and not convey something of what he meant to her. Yet she was scared to try using the ring by herself, seeing that it truly was unpredictable where it sent her. The one thing she knew though, was that it continually seemed to send her back to Clark. That was some small comfort, especially after three years of living without him.

"The future is in danger, Clark," she began succinctly. "That's why I put on the ring. It was supposed to take me to the Legion, a group of heroes in the 31st century, but instead, it led me to you. But not this time… you had left Earth—"

"Wait. Why would I leave Earth?" he asked, still trying to wrap his mind around what she was telling him.

"You left Earth to save your people," she said simply. "You're going to mean so much to Metropolis, to—" she wanted to say _me_, but she shook her head to focus on the task at hand. "I need to get back to my present. And I need to find out what happened to you – you were taken away, by some crystal. It had an 'S' on it. Any idea what that could be?"

Clark looked dumbfounded for a moment, reeling over the fact that Lois knew the truth about him, and that she took it so matter-of-factly.

"Clark? Are you all right?" she asked, seeing his expression.

"This is just a lot for me to take in," he answered honestly with a sigh.

They were miles apart in understanding each other. She could see that. Lois was in love with him, and he was still hung up on Lana. She couldn't begin to express her own emotions, her own hope that someday they could be together. But she knew there was no chance of that if she remained here and Lex Luthor wasn't stopped in the future.

"Lex," she suddenly said, knowing this salient point would get Clark's attention.

"What about Lex?" Clark asked, immediately skeptical.

"He's endangering the future, Clark. He's why I went on this weird mission in the first place."

She definitely had his attention now. Knowing his secret or not, Clark wasn't about to let Lex be a threat. "What did he do?"

"It's what he's about to do… Clark, in the future, with you gone, there is no hero to save us, no one to counterbalance the evil in the world… Lex is President of the United States in my time, Clark. And he's rounding up all the nuclear weapons all over the world."

"The Fortress. Maybe Jor-El can help," he said getting up, turning to her as if he might need to explain, but Lois simply nodded.

"Jor-El hasn't been the most cooperative since you left, but perhaps in this time he will help us."

Clark's eyes lit up over an incredulous smile. "I never imagined you'd take my secret in stride, Lois. You always seemed—"

"Confrontational? Pigheaded? Yeah, you should learn to read the warning signs, Clark," she said with a self-deprecating laugh and then instantly regretted it. "I mean, well—I guess I always liked you more than I admitted," she said, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment, remembering their sibling like relationship during this time.

"Lois, I had no idea—"

"Don't worry, Smallville. It will work out in the future," she winked at him, trying to make herself feel more confident than she did about that. "At least it will as long as we can stop Luthor from blowing up the planet."

"Do you get motion sickness?" he asked.

"No, why?"

He suddenly scooped her up in his arms. "I'll have us to the Fortress in no time."

~\S/~

Chloe had thought of bringing Clark to her tiny apartment in the city, but from what she knew about amnesia, she thought that it would be better if he was around things that were familiar. So she decided to head to the farm in Smallville.

Chloe glanced over at Clark, his eyes taking in the city around him, like this was all a new experience.

"Are you okay?" she asked, unnerved by seeing Clark so lost. She still couldn't believe he was really back – and yet not, though the old Clark she knew was buried in there somewhere. And as much as both she and the rest of the world needed the hero she knew he could be, she had to content herself with just having him back physically for the time being.

"I feel strange," he said, searching for words. "Like I've- been on another planet, or something… Everything seems familiar yet… not."

"Well, that's fair, I suppose… you really don't remember anything?"

He shook his head. "No," he said simply, and the car drifted into silence once more. "Where are we headed?" he asked a few moments later, noticing they were nearly out of the city.

"To Smallville."

"You said that's where I was from, right?"

She hedged. "Yes. Sort of. Well, it's a complicated story. But yes, you were raised there," she said, in an effort to be as honest as she could with him.

"Chloe –isn't it? Why won't you tell me what you know about me? Have I done something wrong? Is there something about me that must remain hidden?" he asked cautiously, an undercurrent of guilt in his tone.

"I promise that you've done nothing wrong," she assured him.

"Then is there something about myself I need to hide?"

The car became quiet, the only sound being the occasional car that passed them on the highway. "Why do you ask?" she said eventually.

"I don't know… something just feels-different about me. I can't explain it."

"The farm is just a few miles ahead. Get some sleep and I'll help you try to make sense of things tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded, though she could tell that he wasn't satisfied.

"Things always look better in the morning," she said kindly as they pulled into the Kent farm.

The house was completely dark, and Chloe fumbled with the keys until she found the right one. She reached for the kitchen light switch. "Home sweet home."

Clark hesitated, standing just in the doorway.

"Clark, what's wrong?"

He took a hesitant step inside. "I—just feel like I'm coming into a stranger's house."

She walked over to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone, Clark. This is _your _home. Come on, I'll prove it to you."

She led him over to the credenza and began to narrate the Kent family photos. "See. Here's your mom. And this is Lois and I. Lana Lang. And this—is your father," she said, handing him a photo of Jonathan Kent.

"I feel… sad looking at this picture. Like there's a huge hole in my heart… Is he—"

Lois nodded. "He died, a few years before you—disappeared. He meant a lot to you. He was a good man."

Clark set the picture down and scanned the others. "It looks like we were a happy family."

"You were."

"And my mother? What happened to her?"

"She's fine," she hastily reassured him. "She's a senator, actually. In Washington."

His eyes scanned the photos. "Wow, sounds like it is an amazing family."

"It is," she said honestly.

He sighed wearily, "Well, I suppose that's enough to know for now…"

"You look a little tired," she said in some surprise, realizing Clark Kent never looked tired.

"I feel okay… I think it's just the mental stress, but yeah, I think I'm ready for bed."

"Okay, well, I'll show you to your room then."

~\S/~

Clark didn't think he was tired, but he was worried.

He wondered what Chloe wasn't telling him.

Three years was a long time to be away…

Clark rolled onto his side with a heavy sigh. The farmhouse was quiet around him and somehow comforting in its silence.

He took a deep calming breath, and willed himself to try and remember something, anything. He conjured up the impressions he had gotten from the photos Chloe had showed him. Surely seeing the people he loved and cared about would help?

He closed his eyes, hoping his subconscious would do the work it needed to help him find his way back to his old life…

_"Kal-El, you must do something," Faora insisted. "Zod will destroy us all. His lust for power knows no bounds."_

_"I know. But he has so many loyal to him. And I'm without my powers…" Clark said, feeling helpless._

_She touched his shoulder, demanding that he look at her. "Kal-El, on Earth you were the strongest person I know." Her hand moved to his chest. "Here. This is where that strength counts. Our people are starving. He's using starvation as a means to control. You can't let this go on…"_

_"I'll need others to stand with me. I can't fight Zod alone."_

_She nodded reassuringly. "There are others, Kal-El. You just have to be ready to lead them."_

~\S/~

Lois had never been to the Fortress, though she had heard enough about it that she thought she'd be prepared for what she saw.

She wasn't.

The beauty of the crystals that surrounded them was breathtaking, even as the cold arctic air cut through her clothes. She stood closer to Clark and he asked if she was all right.

"Just, a bit cold," she said, and he took his red jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Sorry, I should have warned you," he shook his head, marveling. "I can't believe how easy it is to share these things with you. With Lana—"

Lois nodded in understanding. "Be careful with Lana, Clark. She – has a lot of secrets of her own," she warned.

Suddenly, the air rumbled around them, and Jor-El spoke. "Something is off balance, Kal-El. This isn't the Lois Lane of your world."

"She's from the future. She's come to warn me about Lex. He will pose a greater threat to mankind than I can ever have imagined."

"Lois must return to her time to save you."

"To save me?" Clark asked, taken aback.

"You are in danger in her present."

"Can you send me back, Jor-El?" Lois asked anxiously, looking around for the source of the booming voice above.

"The power is in your hands, Lois Lane. Remove the ring, and put it back on. It will return you to your present time."

"Why did the ring send me here?" Lois asked.

"The Legion ring was used in the Phantom Zone. It altered the reality of time. But now that you are back on Earth, it will correct itself and take you back to your time."

"And me? Will I be left here to worry about the future?" Clark asked, and Lois felt for him. She could see the insecurity that he felt, not quite the confident hero she had seen in the Blur or even in the Clark she knew before he had disappeared.

"My son, I will erase Lois' visit from your memory and those who saw her here when she leaves. That will protect the time continuum."

Clark glanced at Lois, looking like he was about to lose his best friend. "I don't want to forget her."

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "When I go to the future, hopefully I will make sure that you don't forget me… but perhaps, it would be okay if I broke the rules just a little."

She turned to him, and put her hand on his shoulder. "I missed you for three long years, Smallville. And though you don't know what you mean to me-" she leaned up, surprising both of them, and kissed him. "I'll always love you," she said simply, tears misting in her eyes.

Clark looked at her, dumbfounded. "Lois, I had no idea—"

She took a steadying breath, nodding. "I know. It's okay, Clark. Hopefully, in the future, there will be time for us," she said, handing him back his jacket.

"Lois, wait!"

"It's time, Smallville," she said, taking off the ring, and then replacing it, a bright purple hue filling up the Fortress walls.

After she disappeared, Clark stood alone in the Fortress for a moment, contemplating what she said and her kiss. He felt something with her, something that was always missing with Lana. But he didn't have time to think about it long. Shortly after Lois vanished, another light filled the Fortress, and Clark was sent back to the farm near sunset, trying to remember where the day had gone…


	5. Chapter 5

The bright flash of light vanished around her, and Lois found herself somewhere in downtown Metropolis.

She had vague memories of her adventure, and more than when she had first accidentally put on the ring and had seen the destruction Zod would have brought to Earth. Perhaps she was adjusting to the forces of time travel? Whatever the reason, she recalled finding Clark in the Phantom Zone, and knew she had spent a cursory amount of time with him in the past. The details were fuzzy, but it was enough to make her hope that she had landed in the right time, at last.

She had a vague memory of Clark abandoning her… she just hoped that it meant he had made it back to Earth, and that he was all right.

Lois started walking out of the alleyway, trying to get her bearings to find her way to Watchtower. She headed towards what looked like a main street, seeing several cars pass by. She got the feeling that she wasn't in the best part of town. But she didn't have her cell phone or her purse with her.

"Where's Mapfinder when you need it?" she murmured.

As she rounded the corner, she spotted Watchtower overlooking the city and let out a relieved sigh. She was tired, and her ankle was still quite sore, but Watchtower was a welcome sight.

She started walking faster, sensing she was heading into the downtown area and therefore into safety, surrounded by more people.

At last, Lois reached Watchtower. She was able to access the building with her code and body scan, which was as clear a sign as any that she was back to her own time.

Relief filled her as she entered the main doors.

"Chloe?" she called. When no one answered, Lois went to the storage cabinet to pull out Chloe's emergency cell phone. The battery was run down, and Lois had to search a few minutes to find the charger.

She plugged in the phone and immediately called her cousin.

"Chloe, it's Lois."

"Lois!" Chloe cried on the other end. "I've been trying to reach you all day! Where have you been?"

"It's a long story—I put on the Legion ring. I was trying to get to the future, to see if the Legion could help with Brainiac – I ended up with Clark instead. But Chloe, I think he came back to Earth. I—" Lois got out in a rush.

"He did, Lois," Chloe said excitedly. "Clark showed up last night and John Jones called me when he found him."

"Found him? Is he all right?" Lois asked, immediately worried.

"Physically, yeah. But Lois – he's lost his memory. I'm at the farm now. I brought him here thinking it would help."

"I'll be there as soon as I can, Chloe."

"I figured you would be. He's sleeping already though."

"It doesn't matter… I want to be there when he wakes up."

"Okay. I'll leave the porch light on for you."

~\S/~

Lois was once again thankful for her keyless entry car that was still in the garage at the Planet. She never could keep track of things like keys.

She quickly headed out of town, popping in her favorite Whitesnake CD, feeling a bit better knowing that at least Clark had returned.

It was close to two in the morning when Lois arrived at the Kent farmhouse. Lois quietly came in the kitchen, the house practically silent, as she assumed both its inhabitants were sound asleep.

Lois slipped off her shoes and climbed the stairs as softly as she could. She was uncertain what she'd do exactly, only knowing that she needed to see him. She needed to know that he was here, in her time, and safe.

The door to his room was open, just a crack. She stepped inside, and felt her breath release. Clark was there, sleeping, his back towards her.

Just knowing he was there, made her feel marginally better.

But his memory…

He was back physically, but how long until she had her Clark back, the one she remembered and longed for? The one that teased her at the office, and snuck into her apartment to wake her with kisses? But she knew this was no time to worry about her feelings. The important thing was getting Clark back to normal.

He must feel like a stranger here. How was it that he was even asleep? Or did the lack of memories make it easier for him? The farmhouse was still and peaceful, with no sound but the crickets from the open window. Even feeling like a stranger in your own home, the Kent farmhouse had a way of soothing even the most distraught soul.

Lois resisted the urge to go over to the bed and touch him. How she longed to be held in his arms, to find a way to tell him about all that she has learned over the last three years… despite the reticence she felt at disclosing exactly how doggedly she had pursued as much as she could about him. Would he be angry with her for prying, or would her understanding bring them together?

She turned away with a sigh and headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She was exhausted after all she had been through. She felt what must be the equivalent of time travel jetlag. Just how long had she been in the Phantom Zone and with the other Clark from the past?

It was all so confusing … though not as confusing as it must be for Clark, here now, with no memory. As Lois brushed her teeth, she thought how difficult it will be for him, to start from scratch. How even getting around the farmhouse must be a new experience for him.

Her cheeks flushed red as a memory suddenly hit her, when Clark had first shown her around the Kent house.

"_Knock before you enter, since there is only one up here," Clark said, turning on the bathroom light so she could see the amenities._

"_Why, Smallville? Afraid I'll catch you in you in the buff?" she teased, leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed._

_He ignored her statement as he backed them both out of the bathroom and reached into the hall closet for extra towels. "Since we both have to get up early, I'll go first as I'll be faster," he said, handing her two towels._

"_Ha!" she laughed. "So much for country manners and 'ladies first.'"_

"_Lois," he whined. "I'm trying to be fair," he said, gesturing for her to follow him into what used to be his room._

_She inspected the room, tossing the towels on the edge of the bed. Suddenly she noticed a nightlight on the wall, marched right over, and yanked it out of its socket. "Elmer Fudd? Really, Clark? Haven't you outgrown nightlights? Or do you still get scared of the dark?" she teased, waving the offending lamp in his face._

_He reached for it, and she lifted it up in the air. "I've had that since I was five. It's just a childhood keepsake. Now give it back! It's a collectable!"_

"_Clark needs a nightlight!" she laughed in a singsong voice, still trying to keep it out of his reach._

_Suddenly, he reached for her waist, tickling her as he spun her around in his arms. "Give it back, Lois!"_

_She started laughing uncontrollably, sinking to the floor and pulling Clark down with her. "I'm sorry! I give up! Take the stupid nightlight!" she conceded in between cries of mirth. "Stop tickling me!"_

_Somehow, they ended up on the floor. Clark was leaning over her, both of them trying to catch their breath from the tickling and laughter. What had started out as harmless play, abruptly took another turn, as Lois looked up at Clark above her. Her laughter died in an instant as they both realized they weren't kids playing a game, and definitely not sibling rivals._

"_Here. Take it," she offered softly, her eyes still locked onto his._

_Snatching the nightlight out of her hand, Clark suddenly jumped up._

"_See you tomorrow, Lois," he said quickly, not looking at her. " You can have the bathroom at 8:30."_

_She watched as he disappeared down the stairs, her heart still racing. "'Night… Smallville." _

She missed those days, and she missed the ones when they became more than friends.

She simply had missed him.

And no matter how long it took, she would stick by his side until his memory came back.

They had a lot of unfinished business…

~\S/~

Clark woke up in the middle of the night, breathing heavily. He felt like he had been running… but in his sleep? He closed his eyes and tried to remember the last vestiges of his dream.

_Who was Zod?_

Had it been more than just a dream, perhaps a memory locked in his brain? Desperate to know more, he got out of bed and turned on the light. He started searching for paper and a pencil in the nightstand. Finding none, he turned, looking for another possibility. When his searching eyes concentrated on the wardrobe, he suddenly could see _through_ it. Clark stepped back, shook his head, and then looked at the wardrobe again. No mistaking it. Somehow, he could see through the solid object.

More anxious than before, Clark started digging through drawers, searching for a pad and paper. He finally found some at the top of the wardrobe and began sketching the few details that remained of his dream.

_War?_

_Zod… a general perhaps?_

_Me… some sort of leader?_

Was he some military experiment gone awry? Was that why he could see through objects? Clark was almost panicking now, wondering if Chloe knew this about him. Wouldn't she be scared of him if she did know?

There were too many questions to sort through tonight. He couldn't conjure any memories other than vague ideas and a few names…

But seeing through a solid object? How had that even happened?

Clark sat on the bed, raking his fingers through his hair in dismay.

He felt so lost, confused. He had too many questions, and he wasn't sure Chloe would give him the answers he needed. She had seemed hesitant tonight, and again he wondered about how he had become this way.

Clark felt restless. He glanced at the clock. It was almost 3 in the morning… perhaps if he went to the kitchen and got a glass of water he could calm down enough to get back to sleep.

Clark headed downstairs, trying to keep a light foot on the stairs, so as not to wake Chloe. He didn't want to face her right now, feeling too perplexed and distraught.

As Clark came into the kitchen, he saw a tall brunette woman standing in front of a halo of light from the open refrigerator. She looked like an angel. Her hair was loose and wavy around her shoulders. She wore a large red t-shirt that went halfway down her thighs. Clark's mouth suddenly went dry and he completely forgot about what had gotten him out of bed in the first place.

"Uh," he said vaguely.

The woman jumped and spun around.

"Clark!" she said in surprise. She shut the door, and leaned against it. She looked as if it was the only thing keeping her upright.

"Do I know you?" he strangled out, confused by the expression on her face, full of a bittersweet hope that he didn't at all understand. All he knew was that he didn't want to upset her.

She nodded. "Yeah," she whispered. "I'm Lois. Lois Lane," she said, and smiled demurely.

That smile hit him in the chest, until she laughed. Her laugh went straight to his heart. "What's so funny?" he couldn't help asking.

She shook her head, "It's just – this was how we met. I mean – sort of. You were," she gestured towards him, standing in his boxers and a t-shirt, trying to explain. "Well, naked, actually. You were in a field and couldn't remember who you were and, uh – oh Clark, I just can't believe this is happening," she finished abruptly. Her hand went to her mouth in dismay, and in the moonlit kitchen, he thought he could see tears in her eyes.

"What? What's happening?" he asked, coming closer to her, wanting to offer her comfort, but unsure how.

She moved to lean against a counter and crossed her arms, her long bare legs crossed at her feet. "It's been so long… and I know you don't remember anything. And I have no way of explaining it to you, but I – I guess I'm just glad you're back, Smallville," she said, with an attempt at a smile.

"Smallville? Isn't that the name of the town?" he asked, confused.

She nodded, "Yeah, but you're sort of _my_ Smallville, Smallville," she said quietly. "And the truth is this town hasn't been the same since you left either."

He came closer to her. They stood in the dark kitchen, a full moon casting a comfortable glow in the room. Lois had her arms wrapped tight around her, as if protecting herself from something. He had the urge to reach out to her, but he resisted.

"So… we knew each other before?" he began tentatively.

"Yeah. We were – partners. And friends…. And—" she hesitated, glancing at him.

"And?" he prodded, mesmerized by her soft eyes in the moonlight, shiny with unspent tears.

"We dated," she finally admitted.

One tear was ripe in the corner of her eye, and suddenly slid down her cheek.

She wiped it away with the cotton sleeve of her shirt. "I'm sorry. I'm not usually this emotional. It's just—been a very long day, and you're here, but—"

He decided not to over think it, but he let instinct lead him and took her in his arms. Holding her felt right and good. Her arms went around his waist and she tucked her head under his chin, as if it had always had a place there. He felt his t-shirt dampen with her tears.

"I've missed you, so much," she whispered, squeezing him tighter. "So much…"

Clark felt something for this woman, though he couldn't summon a single memory of her. Had they been lovers or just casual dating partners? Had they been close before or had she realized her feelings after he left?

He felt awkward, not knowing their history. So he simply held her. Taking comfort even as he gave it, holding her slim body in his arms, smelling her strawberry shampoo.

Eventually she stopped crying and stepped out of his arms. "Do you remember me at all?" she asked, seemingly reluctant to let him go, as her hands rested on his upper arms.

He wanted to, more than anything. He searched within him, desperate to conjure a memory of her, any memory at all, but came up blank.

He shook his head sadly. "No, but I—want to," he finished lamely.

She nodded, stepping away from him, her arms wrapping around herself once more. "Well, give it time," she said bravely. "It's late. We're both tired, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

He turned and saw there was a blanket and pillow set up on the sofa. She was sleeping down here?

"Look, why don't you take the room upstairs and I'll sleep on the sofa," he offered. Not sure why, except that it just seemed wrong that she should have to sleep there.

"It's no big deal, Smallville. I've survived the Kent sofa before," she said gamely, heading over to the sofa to claim it. "Really, I'm fine down here."

"No, please, Lois. I insist. Take the bed upstairs. I'll feel better if you do."

She hesitated a moment, biting her lip in a very adorable way. "Well, if you insist. Okay."

He watched her leave as she headed towards the stairs. She turned on the landing, a shy smile on her face. "Goodnight, Smallivlle."

"Goodnight."

Her smile beamed brighter, just before she turned to head off to bed.

Clark lay down on the sofa, and shifted a few times to try and find a comfortable spot. The pillow smelled of Lois, her shampoo and that essence of her that seemed familiar even as he couldn't place a memory of her.

Knowing she was here was comforting though.

He couldn't remember her, and couldn't remember how deep their relationship had been.

But despite the memory loss, there was something true about what he felt as he drifted off to sleep.

Somehow, he thought he loved her.

~\S/~

_They were supposed to be like brothers._

_But Zod had proved to be a tyrant._

_Clark stood facing him, the other rebels he had assembled over the last few months surrounding him. _

"_We could have ruled together, Kal-El. Had you seen things my way," Zod taunted, pulling out a long knife from his belt. _

"_I never wanted to rule, Zod. But you have turned our people into slaves, fearing your wrath. And I will not stand for it!"_

_Clark had been learning how to fight without his powers over the last few months, seeing that within a few weeks Zod would never keep his word of peace for their people._

_Mika, one of the rebels, tossed Clark a sword as Zod began to circle him. "It ends here, Zod!"_

_They fought for what seemed like hours, endlessly circling each other, wounding each other, taunting each other._

"_This ends now, Kal-El. I should have ended this on Earth," Zod said, throwing down his sword, a move which puzzled Clark. Zod came towards him to stand face to face, while Clark's sword remained still in his hand, at his side._

_Zod was practically nose to nose with Clark, and his lips curled in a sinister smile. "I know you don't have it in you to kill me, Kal-El. And as much as I'd like to, I know that killing you would only fuel your peasant followers' anger," he said, dismissively waving his hand at the group that looked on, waiting to see if they should intervene. "So, I will send you away, where every day you can live to curse my name and wonder if it could have been different between us."_

_Zod abruptly stepped away from Clark and held up a Phantom Zone bracelet, instantly creating a whirlpool of energy between them. "Good-bye, son of Jor-El!"_

_Clark could feel the vortex sucking him in. He thought quickly about what he could do, remembering that there were ways out of the Phantom Zone, and that all would not be lost. But if Zod stayed here, he would destroy the Kandorians, and destroy New Krypton._

_In a rush, Clark ran at Zod, shoving him towards the vortex which suddenly grew stronger and smaller as the bracelet clattered out of Zod's hand. Clark hurled Zod towards the gate, but Zod clutched Clark's shirt, pulling him with him into the Phantom Zone, both lost to New Krypton forever..._

~\S/~

Kara was getting weaker by the moment.

The kryptonite cage Luthor had put her in was just strong enough to contain her, and to keep her in a constant state of painful nausea. She stood in its center, trying to keep away from the bars, which radiated the poison.

How long had she been there? She had woken up in the cage, ill from the green meteor rock, and disoriented. She only remembered being arrested in her home, and then the green rock, coming out of nowhere…

A door opened somewhere behind her. She turned, and then stilled as Luthor entered the room.

"It took all the best men of Domestic Security to learn your secrets, Ms. Danvers. But I can see their studies have paid off," he said, tucking his hands into his pockets. "I've asked myself why one of my staff would betray me, talk about me behind my back, and conspire with the press to take me down, and I can't come up with a logical answer… except that you aren't from around here, are you, Ms. Danvers?"

"Let me go, and I'll tell you all you want to know," she said through clenched teeth, feeling the urge to drop to her knees from the kryptonite.

"No, I think that would be very foolish, considering all I've learned that you are capable of. So tell me, when does your army arrive? I would be well within my right to kill you for treason – for betraying the human race."

"I've not done anything against the humans. You are the one endangering them with your nuclear arms race!"

Lex clucked his tongue, shaking his head as if talking to a recalcitrant child. "My only goal is to protect the Earth. Which is precisely why I had you arrested."

Kara could feel the kryptonite, poisoning her by the second. She would pass out at any moment, but she had to stay coherent through this exchange. She wouldn't let Lex defeat her.

"You are being controlled by an alien technology," she said slowly, deliberately, feeling dizzier by the second. "It's not me who should be in this cage."

He looked at her, bland amusement on his face. "Pray tell. Who or what is this alien technology?"

"Your Secretary of Defense, Ryan Teague," she said, just before the nausea became too much, and she fell to her knees. "He will destroy this planet."

Lex came closer to the cage, a look of smugness on his face as he squatted down to her level. "Now why should I believe you, when you're from an alien planet yourself?"

Kara looked up at him, her eyes pleading that something of the humanity that was once in him was still there. "You once trusted me, Lex. I saved you, remember?"

He stood up, shaking his head. "That was another lifetime, thankfully wiped out." He started walking to the exit. "I will find out what you're planning, Ms. Danvers. No one keeps secrets from me."

Kara watched him leave, feeling weaker by the moment. The House of El crystal was still tucked under her collar and she pulled it out, caressing the 'S' on it.

"Jor-El," she whispered, weakening by the second. "I need your help…"


	6. Chapter 6

Clark woke up, disturbed by a dream, a dream more vivid than what had awoken him earlier that night.

There had been a woman, in a cage that glowed green.

She looked frail and beautiful, her blond hair a golden wave over her shoulders.

She had been in distress… with no one to save her.

Clark threw off the blanket, the early morning sun a cheery contrast to the unreasonable fear he was feeling.

He had too many questions, and he was afraid to wait around for the answers. There was something about him, though, that was different from the people around him. Different than Chloe, different than Lois. And he needed to know why.

Who was the blond woman in his dream? Why did he feel as if there was a connection to her and that she was real?

He glanced up when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Chloe came down, a frown on her face when she saw his expression.

"Clark, what is it? Are you remembering something?"

"I don't know… maybe. But I need some answers… Chloe, I—" he paused, wondering how much she actually knew about him. What if he told her he could see through walls? Would she be appalled, terrified? Or did she already know?

He thought it might be better to discuss this with Lois, but he didn't want to tell her about the blond girl in his dream. What if Lois didn't know about her? What if she was another girlfriend? And why had she been in such distress?

Chloe sat down next to him and laid her hand on his arm. "Clark, you can tell me. I promise. It will be all right."

"I—I saw a woman, with blond hair. She was held in some sort of green cage. She looked ill… I—"

"Oh my god, could you have seen Kara?" Chloe breathed. "How could you have dreamed about Kara?"

"Who is she?" he asked, somewhat desperately.

"Your cousin, Clark. You two are—from the same place," she said, somewhat vaguely. "We need to get you to Jor-El. Perhaps he is trying to contact you. Maybe he can restore your memory," she said, heading into the kitchen.

"Chloe, tell me what you know about me… please?"

Another pair of feet padded down the stairs. Clark turned and saw Lois, dressed in jeans and a yellow blouse, her hair back in a long ponytail. Their eyes met, and he couldn't help but wonder again what exactly their relationship had been like before.

This morning she looked a little more guarded than she had in the middle of the night, though she smiled at him. "Sleep well, Smallville?" she asked lightly, reaching for the coffee Chloe had just made.

"Yeah… sort of." His glance went back and forth between the two girls, wondering how much they knew about him, and how much he should share.

"When did you two, uh, meet?" Chloe asked in surprise, a smirk on her face as she glanced between them.

"In the middle of the night… I couldn't sleep and neither could Clark…" Lois answered, not looking at Clark.

"Uh, well, OK. So everyone knows each other then? At least a little?" Chloe shrugged, then got on to her more salient point. "Look, Lois, Clark had a dream last night, and it sounds like it may have been about Kara. Clark described her being in what could have been a kryptonite cage - what if it was more than just a dream?"

Lois turned to Clark. "Do you remember who she is?"

He shook his head. "Chloe told me she's my cousin… but what is kryptonite?" he asked.

The girls exchanged glances. "A very dangerous rock that can hurt you," Lois answered succinctly. She turned to Chloe. "So, should we take him to Jor-El?"

"I think that's our only choice."

"Where's Ollie and the team?"

"Heading towards Washington, hoping to find Kara," Chloe said, turning back to Clark. "Any idea where she may be held?" she asked hopefully.

"No," he shook his head in regret. He was a little overwhelmed by the two girls, about stuff that he could hardly understand, much less accept as part of his own life.

"Well, we've got to find her," Chloe said, turning on the television. "Just to check the headlines," she said to no one in particular. Chloe was digging for her Blackberry, already multi-tasking her day.

"Good idea," Lois replied, bringing her coffee to sit on the sofa next to Chloe and Clark.

"…_Russia is refusing to give up their nuclear weapons. President Luthor is promising to strike them in 48 hours if they do not release the weapons to US authorities. The Russian Prime Minister is warning of striking back with force…"_

All three sat in silence on the sofa, hearing that news.

"We have to stop him," Lois said eventually.

"Clark's our best hope," Chloe said to her cousin, glancing in Clark's direction.

"How?" he croaked out, just as shocked as the girls about what was being threatened.

"Well Clark, you're… different," Chloe began, looking to Lois to help her explain.

"I've sort of figured that," he admitted guardedly. " I—I need to know what you two know about me… I—" he hesitated, but then was encouraged by the understanding expressions on the girls' faces. "Last night, I was able to see right through the wooden doors of the wardrobe upstairs. " He glanced at them, wary, but they didn't seem shocked by his statement. "And just now—you said I am your best hope at stopping nuclear war… Am I some—military experiment?" he asked in horror.

Lois almost laughed. "No, Clark. You're not an experiment."

"Then, what am I?"

Lois prevaricated a little, searching for words. "Clark—you're special."

"Special how?" When they weren't forthcoming with an answer, he raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Look, I need to know. I promise, whatever it is, I can handle it."

Chloe turned Clark to face her, setting down her coffee to get down to business. "Okay, well, about thirty years ago, there was a meteor shower in Smallville. It changed a lot of people's lives… Some people were, um, infected by the meteors. It gave people certain powers."

"Are you saying I'm some sort of meteor freak?" he asked in dismay.

"No… that's the thing, Clark. When the meteors hit, they also brought someone with them… You," Lois added softly.

He looked horrified. "Wait. So I'm an—alien?"

Lois put her hand on his arm, reassuringly. "Clark, you've more humanity in you than most people I know. Before you disappeared, you were saving people –including yours truly—on a regular basis. I don't see it as a negative, but as a huge plus."

He watched her as she spoke, with no condemnation in her voice, her eyes conveying her confidence in him.

"So… explain this to me… What else can I do?" he asked, feeling suddenly incredibly awkward in his own skin.

Chloe started ticking off his skills practically on her fingers. "Well, you can run very fast—faster than a speeding bullet, actually. You can jump super heights. You have enormous lung capacity and—"

Chloe's phone suddenly beeped. She reached into her purse and glanced at Lois. "It's Ollie. They've located Kara, but they can't get into the facility. It's under the Pentagon." She looked apologetically at Lois. "Keep helping Clark understand about who he is… Take him to the Fortress if you have to. But I have to get to Watchtower to see if I can help the Team."

Lois nodded, though she seemed a little uncertain. "OK, sure. No problem. Smallville, come walk with me, will you?"

~\S/~

After Chloe left, the tension in the air between Lois and Clark seemed to intensify. He kept glancing at her with a penetrating stare, as if he could read all her deep dark secrets. Yet she still felt so far away from his…

Everything she had learned about Clark had been hearsay. She had longed to learn the truth about the Blur from the man himself, yet for three years, that had been impossible. And now, he stood before her, uncertain about his own truth.

She took him out to the barn, hoping it might stir some memories for him, and hoping that she would find the courage to say what was in her heart.

She felt confident that he felt something for her, after last night, but without his memories to give him the full story, she wasn't sure if it was simple attraction, or something more. Nevertheless, his eyes bore straight into her heart with every glance.

"You used to spend a lot of time up here," she said, walking over to his telescope. "You used to study the stars… for years, you were a complete enigma to me," she laughed. "I mean, you were just this cute, nerdy farm boy who didn't seem to know how the world works, and I guess—"

"You think I'm cute?" he asked with a disarming grin.

"Let's stick to the story here, shall we?" she said with a wry smile. She fiddled with the telescope, debating how to continue. They had told him the important points in the living room. But how to explain the Fortress and Jor-El and the Kandorians… and Zod?

Add to that, Lois had always felt second best. She hadn't been trusted enough for Clark himself to tell her his secret. She felt she was betraying him in some way to tell him the truth now, because that information hadn't come first from his lips. Lois knew it was a bit silly, but she feared that once he regained his memories, he would return to being the closed oyster that had driven her so crazy in the past. And she had come too far to let him retreat into his secrets once more.

"Lois, is there something else you're not telling me?" he eventually asked, and Lois cursed her face for being an open book.

She shook her head, fidgeting with her hands. "It's not important, really…"

"Chloe seemed to know a lot about me… what do you know?"

"I know that you're kind, and smart. And that you try to be a hero whenever you get the chance," she ventured, wanting to be honest, though she knew he was looking for a more concrete answer than that.

"And my abilities?" he prodded gently. "What do you know about those?"

"You'll figure those out as you get your memories back, Clark… I—I just don't feel comfortable elaborating when I, uh-" she hesitated, guilt at all the prying she had done to learn about him coming to the fore now with him standing before her. "I guess I just don't feel like it's my place to say."

He stood watching her for a long moment, and she felt nervous under his stare. "Wait… did _I_ not tell you about myself?"

Lois glanced at him, the look of a guilty child on her face. "I'm sure you meant to, Clark… You just… never got a chance, I guess…" she said sadly. "We… were special to each other," she said in a soft voice. "And yet… you had kept yourself hidden from me to protect me. I only learned the truth about you when you left."

"When did I leave?"

She suddenly remembered the picture she carried of them in her wallet. She had pulled it out this morning, thinking how she might try to explain things to him and had left the picture in her pocket. "Here," she said, handing him the photo. "That's us… a few months before you disappeared."

He took the photo, the two of them smiling, a sidelong glance from Clark in Lois' direction. His fingers traced the edges of the photo, seeming to note how worn they were, and his jaw tightened with some inscrutable emotion. "How—how long was I gone?"

His words instantly made her relive the time since he had left. Her last memory of him had been a kiss, stolen in the shadows by the Blur. And since then, she had done all she could to understand him, and to keep hope alive that somehow, he might find his way back to Earth… back to her. In the space it took her to answer him, the myriad moments of sorrow and loss came together in a ball of pain, squeezing in her chest. "Three years," she eventually whispered, the ache of his absence making speech difficult.

"And you kept this photo in your wallet all that time?"

She looked up at him, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment under his gaze. But there was something in his eyes that also reassured her. He wasn't mocking her, he was trying to understand.

"Yeah, I—h—hoped you'd come back," she said, clearing her throat as she feared the emotions she couldn't articulate were going to choke her.

His eyes went over her features, seeking understanding. He glanced back at the photo. "I was a fool not to tell you about myself, whatever the full truth is, Lois."

"It doesn't matter now, Clark," she said, wishing the tears would quit getting stuck in her throat.

He lifted his hand to cup her cheek, his brow wrinkling in concern. "I think it does. I can see that it does. And I promise to make it up to you."

She looked into his eyes, wanting to believe him. But without his memories, his promise was just based on this moment. "I can't ask that of you, Clark. You're kind to say so, but—"

"Who was I to you before I left?" he asked, his voice soft and close, his breath warm on her cheek.

Her eyes met his, and she was certain he could see all that he meant to her. "Everything," she whispered.

They were both locked in each other's gazes, and the longing he must have seen in her eyes pulled him towards her. He seemed to hesitate, uncertain, but she reached up and brought his lips down to hers.

He pulled her closer to him, and she had a feeling of homecoming in his embrace. She had tried to recreate in her mind what it had been like to kiss him, but none of her fantasies had come close to this toe curling sensation of being pressed to his chest, cradled in his arms, his lips seeking hers.

Abruptly, after a moment, he pulled away.

"What is it?" she asked, her heart thrumming in her chest.

"I—I'm sorry, Lois. There is obviously something between us," he said haltingly. "But it's not fair that we um… well, I need my memory back before—before things go further."

She nodded, her lips craving the sensation of his once more. Involuntarily, she bit her lip, then nodded with a sigh. "Okay, Smallville. You're right. We—just um, let ourselves be carried away. It happens, right? So, let's get to work on that memory of yours," she said over brightly, glancing away to hide how much she longed to be in his arms once more .

She turned and spotted his Kryptonian journal on the bookshelf. She picked it up and handed it to him. "Maybe this will help."

He thumbed through the pages, a look of puzzlement and curiosity on his face as he read. "You look how I felt when I first read it," she admitted, bemused, sitting next to him on the sofa.

Lois' Blackberry suddenly beeped that she had a news alert. She had set it to receive notices from the AP, especially with Luthor's dangerous political games. As they scanned through his old Kryptonian journal, a few more beeps came through.

Five in under a few minutes.

That meant something big was happening.

Her reporter instincts got to her and she pulled it out of her pocket.

"Oh my God," she breathed, seeing the news blurbs. "This can't be happening… This _cannot _be happening!"

Clark set the journal down and leaned towards her to see what she was reading ."What is it?"

"Russia has preemptively launched a missile – it's heading towards Washington. Clark!" she turned to him. "They have nuclear weapons! They've been the last holdout on Lex's suicide nuclear plan. We have to get to Jor-El, _now_!"

She jumped up, just as her phone started ringing. It was Chloe.

"Did you hear about Russia?" Lois asked, walking over to Clark's bookshelf.

"Yes. Of course I did… Lex is going to do a press conference from an undisclosed location in 20 minutes… Please tell me you are on your way to the Fortress! There may not be much time…"

"Yes, but the only way without Clark's memory is the Kawatche caves. It will take at least a half hour to get out there," Lois said, discouraged.

"It will be fine, Lois. Just go!"

"OK. Love you, cuz," Chloe blurted, and Lois could hear the underlying worry. But they wouldn't say their goodbyes – not yet.

There was a pause on the other end. "You too."

Lois hung up the phone, hearing the chimes of a new news alert almost every minute now. "OK… now, where is your Huck Finn book?" she asked frantically, shuffling through the musty old books on Clark's shelf.

Clark came to look with her, and saw it first. "Here," he handed it to her. "But how does a dusty old novel help us?"

She smiled and opened the cover, revealing the key to the Fortress. "This will lead you to your Kryptonian father." He picked it up, curious, when suddenly a light flashed, disappearing Clark in an instant.

The barn seemed utterly still for a second as Lois tried to process what had just happened.

"Clark?" she called, dismayed. She sat back on the sofa, her head still spinning over the implications of Clark's sudden disappearance and a preemptive strike by the Russians. She glanced around and then sighed, resigned… She couldn't help Clark now. She just hoped that Jor-El had taken him and that he would restore his memory…

But without him there, she could investigate a little into what was going on.

Quickly, she called Martha in Washington. "It's Lois. Where are you?" she said without preamble.

"We're being evacuated to underground bomb shelters at the Pentagon," Martha said, and Lois could hear the sounds of footsteps on the phone. Lots of footsteps. " Lois – I don't know what will happen! The Cabinet is meeting with Luthor, but I think this is just what he wanted! Lois, we may be at nuclear war any moment!"

"Stay calm, Mrs. K. I may have some good news in the middle of all of this. Clark's back."

"He's what? Where is he? Why isn't he trying to stop this?" she asked frantically.

"He lost his memory… I was going to take him to Jor-El, but when Clark touched the key, he was zapped away somewhere. Has that ever happened before? I'm a little at a loss as to how all this Kryptonian stuff—"

"Yes! I hope Jor-El can help. He hasn't always been on our side, but when the stakes are high, he usually pulls through…. Lois, I have to go! Good luck!"

"You too, Mrs. K! Wait! Mrs. K-"

"Yes, Lois?"

"Can I quote you on the meeting of the Cabinet? Will the US strike back?" she asked, searching for pen and paper to jot some quick notes.

"I don't know—I mean, you and I know that this is what Luthor wants, but writing about it in the Planet won't stop anything. It may be too late as it is. Lois – just stay safe, okay?"

"OK. You too. Call me in a few hours if it's possible."

"I will, Lois… If Clark has returned, there may be hope again."

"Yeah, I think so too. Bye, Mrs. K."

Lois reluctantly hung up the phone, suddenly feeling like she had to do something. She couldn't sit idly by while Clark was who knows where and the world could be falling apart at the seams any minute now. She kept glancing at her Blackberry. The updates coming in were roughly all saying the same thing. _"A preemptive missile strike in hostility against the US' policy on nuclear weapons."_

It was the Russians striking, but Luthor was leading them into war.

~\S/~

Kara was feeling weaker by the moment. The kryptonite hadn't let up since she had been brought here, at least a day ago. There were periods where she blacked out all together, especially if she moved from the very center of the cage. When she was awake, she felt an unrelenting nauseous feeling in her stomach and a deep ache in her muscles.

She lay on the cage floor, trying to sleep, trying to stay away from the green bars as much as possible by wrapping herself in a small ball.

If she just closed her eyes, she could think on happier times. She could remember those she loved, those she had lost…

Suddenly, several red lights began flashing, and a security alarm went off. She felt the building shake with a jolt, and then a downward hum as the building powered down.

The room was dark, except for the glow of the kryptonite around her. If she had any energy left at all, she'd be able to free herself from the cage. Kara tried to sit up, but leaning even just a little bit closer to the cage walls, made her head hurt. She groaned in pain, and fell to the floor.

A door opened, and she wondered if it was Luthor, coming to check on his prisoner.

She heard someone say, "There she is."

Suddenly, the voice was much louder and much closer. "Kara? We're going to get you out of here."

She glanced up, and through her hazy vision, she could see Oliver in his Green Arrow gear standing over her. She closed her eyes in relief.

She heard a sawing sound, and turned on her side, seeing Cyborg slice through the lock with an energy blast from his hand. The door popped open and Oliver stepped inside.

"Are you all right?" he asked, lifting her to a sitting position.

"Get me… out of here," she wheezed out, feeling too weak from the kryptonite exposure.

Oliver lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the cage, not setting her down until they were on the other side of the room.

"Kara, look at me," he said, her balance seemed to be gone as he tried to hold her upright. She tried to focus on his face. "You're going to be all right, do you hear?"

She nodded, and Oliver sat her down as he turned to the rest of the team.

"We have to find a way out of here," Aquaman said.

"Look, the blast happened just after we got inside. It had to have been the missile—"

"What missile?" Kara asked, trying to stay awake and focused on what they were saying.

Oliver sighed. "Just take it easy, Kara. Luthor just provoked the Russians… a missile hit Washington."

"It's Brainiac… he's going to push Lex to nuclear war. There's no way to stop him."

"There might be," Oliver said. "We just came back from Clark's Fortress. Jor-El said the Crystal of El could be used to stop Brainiac. Do you have it?"

She fingered the crystal around her neck. "Yes… I do. But I can't face him without my powers. I have to get sunlight—we must get out of here," she said, though she felt tired and weak.

"I have some other good news for you, Kara," Oliver said, his lips twitching in a smile. "Clark made it back."

"Then where is he?" she asked, suddenly feeling a bit more rejuvenated.

"He's lost his memory. He's going to see Jor-El… but we have no time. We have to keep moving."

~\S/~

Clark felt more than saw the burst of light. When it dissipated, he was standing in a large crystalline structure. Wind howled through the hollow icicles, the crystals gleaming from the sunlight above.

He stepped forward, cautious, but unafraid. He couldn't explain it, but he felt comfortable here, as if it had been made for him.

"Welcome home, my son," said a voice overhead.

"Are you Jor-El?" he asked into the windy cavern, uncertain.

"I am indeed. You are my son, Kal-El. You have traveled far and long. The humans have suffered without you to be there to help them, and they are in more danger than ever."

"Can you restore my memory?"

"I have already planted within you the capacity to retrieve it. Your cousin, Kara, reached out to me. She is now safe, in the hands of your friends. She has the only power to stop Brainiac, with the Crystal of El."

" The Russians may have already provoked a war. Restore my memory, so I can help stop it before it is too late!"

"Things have been set in motion that you cannot stop, Kal-El. I will restore your memory, but it will be too late to save mankind…"

A wall made of light suddenly surrounded Clark, symbols he didn't understand or recognize flashing before him.

"This is your Kryptonian heritage, my son. Focus on the symbols, and they will unlock the memories you have hidden within you…"

"I don't have time for games, Jor-El!" he cried, baffled by the symbols.

"Focus, Kal-El… and begin to remember your training. It will serve you now…"

Clark knew he didn't have a choice. Without understanding his self fully, he couldn't do anything to help. He took a breath, closed his eyes, and then opened them, concentrating on the symbols. Slowly, they began to make sense, and coalesced into a hundred different meanings…

_The Phantom Zone was as barren as ever… Zod had been amassing an army here for months, and Clark never even knew._

_It was as if Zod had planned all along that they should end here._

_What had he said when he had locked him in this cage?_

"'_Better to rule in hell, than to serve in heaven.'"_

_And then Lois had appeared, bruised and tired…_

"Lois," he said her name, a frown on his face, as images of her appeared before him.

Her standing in a phone booth, looking vulnerable and lost…

A smile on her face as she jumped up out of her chair and into his embrace…

Her kissing him in the storage room, taking them both by surprise.

Lois at the farmhouse… at the Daily Planet… at the Talon…

And soon, memories of Chloe and Oliver, and his parents…

His memories were coming back like a wave.

He felt awed and overwhelmed by them at once.

The people he cared about were in danger now. He couldn't stand here any longer…

"Jor-El?" he called out and the curtain dissipated.

"You are ready my son… but I fear you will be too late."

Clark didn't listen. Feeling his power and his true purpose once more, he super sped out of the Fortress, heading back to Smallville.


	7. Chapter 7

Kara was still too weak by half.

They managed to get her out of the room with the kryptonite cage, but without sunlight, she was still mercilessly feeling the effects after such a long exposure. At least now she was able to walk.

"Where are we?" she asked, as they aimlessly wandered the long corridors, one after another, whose sterile halls looked like they could belong to any government facility on the planet. The power was still out, but their way was lit by emergency service lights at the turns and by emergency exits.

"We're under the Pentagon," Oliver said. "But Washington was hit directly by a missile. It's chaos above us, and who knows where Luthor is."

"A missile? Who attacked Washington?" Kara asked.

"The Russians… Lex really stirred up some past aggressions," Oliver explained, clearly dismayed.

Cyborg glanced up at the cameras, even though with the electricity off, there wasn't likely to be anyone watching them. "He may know we're here, especially if someone saw us before the blast hit. It's only a matter of time anyway. Unless we find a way out, we are probably sitting ducks."

"Let's hope Boy Scout gets his memories back… " AC said.

Oliver turned to Kara, with a skeptical glance. "Kara, if we find Lex, can you stop Brainiac with that—crystal of yours?" he asked, waggling his fingers in the direction of her necklace.

Kara nodded, "Yes, it will send him to the Phantom Zone. But I really need sunlight first to rejuvenate… and we have to find Brainiac."

"Right. Then let's keep moving."

~\S/~

Lois debated driving into Metropolis. She knew that there was likely panic starting to set in across the country, but if she went into the city, she could at least have more resources at her disposal and actually _do_ something instead of pace worriedly at the farmhouse…

She turned to the TV, seeing that the whole east coast was being evacuated inland.

Luthor was getting ready to speak and she knew they were preparing for war.

"…_as Luthor makes his way to the podium… 'My fellow Americans, this is a day we have all feared would come to pass, but there is nothing we can do, but to act against this aggression… As of this moment, our nuclear arms are being prepared to be launched at a moment's notice…"_

Lois put the TV on mute, horrified.

This was nuclear war. This was the end… there was no way back from this.

The world would never be the same again.

~\S/~

Clark landed at the farmhouse, anticipation rising up within him at the thought of seeing Lois again. He had practically abandoned her, and yet she had waited for him, even after all this time. She had learned of his secret and had tried to understand him, hadn't run from who he was. He owed her so much, and he felt love for her swell up in his heart in gratitude.

As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw her on the sofa, her hand over her mouth as she stared at a silent TV. He came over to her, quietly, seeing that she was utterly distraught.

He saw Lex on the television screen, and read the news scroll across the bottom: _"The US may respond to missile strike with nuclear force,"_ and he understood Lois' unease.

His joy of a moment ago from having regained his memories evaporated under the reality of what Luthor had brought on the world.

Luthor would destroy them all. If Clark had remained on Earth, would any of this have happened? Could he have stopped Lex from becoming president, from Brainiac getting control of the highest office in the land? Clark always knew that Lex was a threat, but he never imagined he would take it this far… was it Brainiac, or was this the evil that Clark had at times suspected lain within him?

He dragged his eyes away from the screen as he heard a whimpering cry coming from Lois. She had not yet seen him, too shocked by what she was watching on the television. But he could see tears on her cheeks.

"Lois," he breathed out, sitting beside her on the sofa.

She turned to him, her eyes bright with tears, in shock. "Cl…aark?"

He took her instantly in his arms, comforting her. "I'm here, Lois… I'm back. I'm sorry…" he said into her hair as he pulled her closer. "Sorry for everything."

She pulled out of his embrace to look at him. "Did… did it work?" she asked, still too overwhelmed to get out a complete thought.

He nodded. "Yeah… but, I'm afraid it all might be too late," he said sadly, glancing over his shoulder at the television. "I should never have left Earth." He turned back to her, moving a lock of hair off her face. "I should never have left you," he said, softer, regret in his voice.

"Jor-El restored your memory," she whispered, reaching up to touch his hand on her cheek, indulging in one moment in the comfort he offered. Then, she wiped her eyes and looked at him, steadily. "Clark. This isn't the end. It can't be the end. We have to do something, anything. We can't give up," she said, standing. "I'm going to Metropolis. I'll go to the Planet and –"

"Lois? What good would that do? Stay here, where you'll be safe," he said, but as soon as the words left his lips, he knew that she wouldn't stay put.

She couldn't.

It was one of the things that infuriated him about her.

And one of the things he loved most about her.

"You have to go to Washington, Clark. People there need you. Kara is there… I know the team is trying to locate Luthor and Brainaic. Kara has the crystal. It's the only way to stop Brainiac and try to rein in this madness…"

"All right," he said. "But first things first."

Suddenly, he pulled her into his embrace, his heart full of the time he had spent away from her, and imperatively he felt the need for her to understand that.

"I never forgot you, Lois," he said, then stopped, shaking his head."I mean before the memory loss.. I thought of you every day on New Krypton, and in the Phantom Zone… You're what got me through," he whispered, his lips near her cheek.

Her eyes were bright, though a tremulous smile played on her lips. "And you're what got me through three years… without you… Smallville," she said quietly.

He leaned in and kissed her, making a promise and asking for forgiveness at once. "We'll find a way, Lois."

She nodded, tears once more slipping down her cheeks. "I know," she said. "Now go. The world needs you…"

His eyes took her in once more, imprinting the memory indelibly of how strong and wonderful she was. He couldn't believe he had ever forgotten what she meant to him.

"I'll find you," he said, and then left in a sweep of wind.

~\S/~

Clark arrived in Washington within moments.

The city was in chaos, a complete disaster. The missile had struck somewhere between the National Mall and Capitol Hill, setting ablaze several square miles around the city. People were panicking, and trying to head to the suburbs – or at least head west, and away from the coast. Perhaps it was illogical, but the threat had come from the east and people were growing desperate to escape whatever might follow.

With his super breath, Clark cooled the worst of the fires, ducking in damaged buildings when he could hear cries for help. He assisted where he could, but he knew he had to find Kara and the others.

He left his family crest in a few places, wanting to try and give the people a bit of hope that the Blur was back. Though he worried about how much he could really do, especially in face of the threat of nuclear war. His biggest chance was to stop Lex, to use the crystal to send Brainaic away. But could he do all of that before it was too late?

Clark scanned Capitol Hill, wondering about his mother's safety. But the underground bunker was made of lead. The building was empty, and he simply had to trust that she was safe… He made himself a promise to come back and look for her if he could.

He remembered before Chloe had left that she had mentioned the Pentagon. Could that be where Luthor had Kara?

Clark super sped across the city, helping people here and there as he could to get out of damaged buildings, but his goal was getting to the Pentagon.

When he reached the area, he could see a corner of the building had been struck by some debris from the original blast. The building didn't seem to have any power.

He sped in, busting through a security door. The building was mostly dark, and all the government personnel appeared to have evacuated. He knew that Luthor wouldn't have Kara in an easily found place – she must be hidden, on a lower level somewhere.

Quickly, Clark ran around the building, looking for an access point to below the main levels. At last, he came to the damaged corridor from the blast, and saw that a security elevator was blocked. Were there stairs somewhere? Clark began climbing over the debris, when he thought he heard a voice.

It was barely a whimper, but Clark turned and saw a man pinned under a large filing cabinet. He was dressed in a uniform, possibly a security officer.

The man seemed barely conscious, but Clark rushed over and easily lifted the cabinet off the man's leg.

"Are you all right?" Clark asked, helping the man up.

The older man looked at Clark with a stunned expression for a moment, and then nodded, still unable to speak.

"You need to get that leg looked at," Clark suggested. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

The man shook his head, finding his voice at last. "No—I, uh—what are you doing here, son?"

"I'm looking for a friend… Do you know a way down to the lower secure levels?"

The man nodded. "Yeah. You'll have to get through that debris, but it's on the other side of the hallway."

Clark turned to leave. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

The man smiled. "You just saved my life. I'll be fine. Now go save whoever you're looking for."

Clark smiled back and then quickly set to work moving debris out of his way to get to the stairwell.

~\S/~

Lois somehow made it into Metropolis.

The city was evacuating, all heading towards Smallville, and only her press pass got her into the city. They were in Kansas, in the middle of the country. Were they really threatened way out here?

But it seemed that panic had set in, as local authorities suggested that all major cities be evacuated in case they became targets.

In the back of everyone's mind was the fact that Luthor and the Russians were getting ready to play with nuclear weapons. It would be very difficult for anyone to outrun a nuclear bomb.

The Planet was mostly empty, though there were a few reporters still trying to cover the events. The TVs all carried coverage from CNN and Lois caught a few of the headlines before beginning to write her own piece.

The headlines were terrifying, as nuclear war loomed eminent. She didn't want to regurgitate the fear in her piece, though. There would be enough reporters doing that.

She had to offer the world a little bit of hope. One short blurb on CNN had reported that the Blur's symbols had been spotted in the nation's capitol.

Lois knew she had her story.

She would let the world know that the Blur was back...

The office was quiet, though many were working, and no wonder. A world on the eve of destruction would put anyone on edge.

Lois sat down at her desk, surprised to see her hands shaking. She took out the picture of her and Clark, smoothed out its wrinkles and set it by her computer screen, taking a steadying breath.

Clark was back. Somehow, everything would work out. They'd get through this…

They had to.

She turned on her computer and started typing… "The Blur Returns."

~\S/~

Under the Pentagon, the hallways were narrower and darker. They seemed like an endless labyrinth, and Clark was unsure if he was going in circles or making progress around the building.

He started to grow doubtful that he was at the right place. Perhaps he had misheard Chloe, or she hadn't had the right information. These halls were all empty and there were people out on the street that needed his help…

Clark was about to turn to go, when his superhearing picked up voices.

He turned down another corridor, and saw his cousin, Oliver, Cyborg, and Auquaman, heading in his direction.

He could see that Kara was weak, the way she was hunched over and leaning on Oliver for support. Even in this dim light, he could tell that she was ill.

"Kara!" he called down the echoing hallway, and she glanced up, a smile on her face.

"Kal-El!"

Clark rushed to her and gave her a hug. "What did Lex do to you?" he asked, feeling how weak she was in his arms.

"We found her in a cell made of kryptonite," Oliver answered, a guarded look on his face.

Clark turned to him, and could see anger on Oliver's features that he didn't quite understand.

"Thank you for rescuing her," Clark offered. "What's your plan now?"

"Nice of you to show up, finally. Now that the world is about to fall down around our ears," Oliver spat bitterly.

"Oliver… You know that I had no choice. But I'm back now—We'll stop Lex."

Oliver nodded, still angry. "Perhaps. But what about Russia? And the rest of the world who is angry at what Lex has done? You can't save the whole world now, Clark! If you hadn't left—" he stopped himself.

Clark put a hand on Oliver's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I'm here now…. Let's just work together and save the day, like we used to, okay?" he said with a tentative smile.

Oliver nodded and Clark let him go.

Aquaman stepped forward and shook Clark's hand. " Good to see you, Boy Scout. Any idea how to find Lex?"

"The building above is nearly empty. No doubt Lex is in a secret location somewhere. Let's just get out of here so Kara can get some sunlight and we can see what's going on above," Clark said, leading the way.

Oliver hung back a second, shaking his head. "It's not always possible to save the world, you know."

The group stopped and turned to look at him.

"These events have been building up for a while… this may be it."

Clark nodded, feeling a wave of guilt for having left in the first place, seeing the results of his absence. But now wasn't the time to wallow in the past.

"Then that means we don't give up trying. Let's go."

~\S/~

Lois sent off her op-ed, publishing it on the Planet's website, after receiving a memo that paper printing would go on hold until they got an all clear for civilians to return to the city.

Her message of hope was out there, at least.

It wasn't a lot, but it was something.

She turned to the newsroom TVs as several reporters started gathering around.

"_We have an unconfirmed launch of a nuclear weapon, heading to the northeastern United States, in retaliation of a nuclear bomb that the President has sent to Russia. I am on the line with a Russian translator who has worked at the American Embassy in Moscow. Erin Strider, what can you tell us?"_

"_The Russian press have been told to keep a lid on the goings on, though there have been unconfirmed rumors coming out of the Kremlin that indeed, a nuclear weapon has been launched. The time frame is unclear, but it would reach the United States within the next eight hours."_

"Holy-this can't be happening," Lois said aloud, glancing at her fellow reporters who were watching the news just as anxiously. "First, there is no confirmation. So either they are going to panic the nation-" she suddenly stopped, fear freezing her. "Did anyone catch the name of the translator?"

"Yeah, Erin Strider. Why?" asked a junior reporter.

Lois went over to her computer and started digging in the archives and online. Anyone who works for the US government could be found in a database provided to the press. Questioning the TV reporter's skills at vetting sources, Lois searched the database for an Erin Strider.

No one by that name was found. She typed in a few variations of spelling, just to be sure, but none came up.

Could it be Brainiac? Saying the Russians were sending a nuclear bomb would give Luthor the go-ahead to launch a retaliatory strike against them.

Was this all a ploy to launch them into Armageddon?

Lois jumped out of her chair, grabbing her purse, to head off to Watchtower.

She needed a more sophisticated database.

~\S/~

"Wait," Clark said, as they reached the main level. He blurred away and came back a few seconds later, carrying an injured man. "I couldn't leave him. I'll take him to a hospital and meet you outside."

"Fine, go be a hero," Oliver said dismissively.

Clark blurred away as the team began the task of working through the Pentagon's labyrinth to find an exit.

"Why are you being so hard on him?" Cyborg asked.

"I guess… I just can't forgive him for leaving us. And maybe…" Oliver sighed. "Maybe I feel guilty that we couldn't stop this from happening without him."

"It might have happened even if Clark had stayed on Earth," Kara said. "You can't look to the past, Oliver. We have to think about the future."

"If we have a future," he answered despondently.

They wandered a while, seemingly deep in the building, as it was even difficult to find a room with a window.

"Let's just find our way out of here and take it one thing at a time, okay?" Cyborg suggested.

Oliver nodded, but the distraught worry never left his features.

Clark blurred back just as he team found an exit. People were still panicking in the streets around them, and traffic was a nightmare as people were rushing to evacuate the city.

Kara stepped forward, ignoring the chaos around them for a moment as she absorbed the sunlight.

"OK, now what?" Oliver asked. "How are we going to track down Lex?"

"Is Chloe at Watchtower?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, I talked to her before we headed into the Pentagon. But she had no confirmation on a location as to where Lex would be."

Clark chewed on that thought a moment. "He'd want to go somewhere secret, and secure… he's not likely to head off to other presidential getaways… Do you think he went back to Smallville?"

Oliver shrugged. "Could be, but we're losing time."

"Kara and I can be to Smallville and back quicker than anyone. You stay here and help, and see if you hear anything about the president's whereabouts. My mom is somewhere under Capitol Hill. Maybe head there. She might know something."

Oliver looked doubtful, but nodded.

"Oliver, we'll get through this. We'll stop Lex and Brainiac."

"Sure… See you guys later. Let's get moving," Oliver answered, without looking at Clark.

~\S/~

Lois was dodging cars and other pedestrians, making a beeline to Watchtower. Chloe might know more than she could find on the archives. The phone towers were jammed, and Lois couldn't get a call out, though she kept trying.

Miraculously, Watchtower still had power and Lois was able to get inside without any difficulty.

"Lois! What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be in Smallville!" her cousin cried, greeting her with a hug.

"You know me. I can never stay put for long."

"And what about Clark?"

"He's back, Chloe. All of him. Jor-El did it. I handed Clark the key to the caves and he – just disappeared. But he came back a while later, and remembered everything."

Chloe sighed with dismay, surprising Lois after this good news. "Well, it may be too late, even for him. A nuclear bomb has been sent to Russia, to counterstrike the one that is theoretically headed our way."

"Theoretically? Then you didn't trust the Russian source, either?"

Chloe shook her head, heading over to the computer console. "No… And I did some digging. In the ten years of files I've been able to look through, not one Erin Strider has shown up working for the Embassy. I think it's Brainiac."

"I thought so, too. It's why I came by, to see what Watchtower could dig up… I just feel so – useless, you know? I wrote an op-ed telling the world the Blur is back in business, but what good will it do?"

"You know what it will do, Lois. It will give the world some hope."

Lois smiled slightly. "Yeah, that was sort of the point. But now what? We sit around and wait for the end of the world?" Lois said despondently.

"Hardly. I've heard from Ollie. They found Kara, and the rest of the team is in Washington, searching for Lex. I've been trying to hack into top secret government cameras all across Washington to learn what happened. So far, I've only managed a few in the Pentagon and one on Capitol Hill," she said, gesturing to a screen behind her. "I'm hoping to find Lex. Though Clark and Kara are headed to Smallville – they think Lex headed home."

"Then maybe that's where I should be headed, too," Lois said, starting for the door.

"Lois, wait! It's dangerous out there. Metropolis is a mad house. You may not even make it to Smallville."

"I have to try, Chloe. I have to do something. I can't just sit here and watch all this happen from a distance. Maybe I'll get a story along the way, if we live through this. Or maybe, I can be there with Clark if it all does end," she said quietly.

Chloe gave her a sad, small smile. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Lois ran over and gave her cousin a hug. "I hope it doesn't either. But Chloe, love you."

"Love you too, Lo. Stay safe out there."


	8. Chapter 8

Lex stood watching the news coverage of the destruction in Washington with a placid smile on his face.

The plan was working perfectly.

Ryan Teague had told him it would be easy to instill fear, and then he would have absolute control.

The Russians hadn't sent a missile. The missile had been launched off the coast by one of their own fleet. The nuclear bomb was being sent on Lex's orders. All of it, down to the planted "Russian" spies had been part of the plan – to bring the world to its knees.

Whoever would be left would be subject to him, Lex Luthor, seeing what destruction and terror he could work over the world's populace.

Lex closed his eyes, feeling… nothingness. But it was a nothingness he could embrace, one that only wanted for a fulfillment of power.

He wasn't bothered by his loss of memories. Their absence simply cooled his emotions to focus on his goals.

He knew something significant had happened to him, when he had awoken in Cadmus labs, but he thought of it as a gift, a cleansing of whatever had held him back before.

Now, Lex was ready to embrace the world's destruction – so he could build one anew, under his rule.

~\S/~

Clark and Kara arrived at the Luthor mansion in record time.

From the outside, it appeared deserted. But a quick x-ray scan of the building revealed a contingent of armed guards scattered inside the premises. Lex was definitely here.

Clark turned to Kara. "I'll go in first. I don't want him to know you are freed yet. We may need the element of surprise."

He moved to go, but Kara put a hand on his shoulder. "Kal-El? I'm glad you're back," she said with a smile.

Clark's answering smile was a bit drawn. "I wish I had been back sooner. Perhaps I could have stopped all this…"

"If we can stop Brainiac, perhaps that will be enough."

He nodded. "Let's hope so… Now, let's go end this, shall we?"

She smiled. "I'll be right behind you."

Clark took off, leaving Kara outside the mansion. She moved to where she could watch the goings on in Lex's study, hiding surreptitiously behind some shrubbery. Clark blew past the guards and entered Lex's study.

"Lex, what do you think you're doing? You'll start World War Three!" Clark stated upon entering, without preamble.

Lex was pouring himself a drink, and turned, a look of bland surprise on his face. "Well, well. The prodigal son has returned, I see. But too late to stop the party." He tilted his glass towards Clark in a mock toast and took a long sip.

As always, Clark remained determined to reason with Lex, hoping that there was still something of humanity left within him. "You have to call off this war you're starting. Talk to the Russians, it's not too late."

"Oh, but it is, Clark… It's too late for you… and for me… you see, the wheels are already in motion," Lex said coolly. "A bomb is headed to these shores that will wipe out the lower eastern seaboard. And that will be just the beginning."

Clark scrutinized Lex, horrified by what he was hearing, and the blasé tone of his voice. "Wait. You—you _planned_ this, didn't you?" Clark said, stunned by the realization. "You wanted this to happen!"

A lazy smile crossed Lex's lips. "See. You know me too well… I've been told that once upon a time, we were good friends," Lex took another sip of his brandy. "What a fool I must have once been."

"What happened to your memory? Why don't you remember?"

Lex's smile broadened, though the light of that smile never reached his eyes. "You have your secrets, I have mine… Now, is there a reason you came barging in here?"

"You have to call off the bomb. Lex, do you really want to destroy the world?"

Lex paused a moment, looking into his glass before answering. "Great men instill fear in those they want to rule over, Clark. If there's no one bringing harm, then there is no need for someone to rescue them, is there?"

"You're demented," Clark spat.

"Perhaps… or perhaps I'm just a product of all this," he gestured around him. "Too much money and power to care about helping others. There seems no point, honestly."

"You used to care. I believed for years that there was something worth saving in you. I want to believe that again."

"Believing is for children, Clark. Surely we've put behind us our childish ways, hmm?"

"I will stop you," Clark vowed, thinking furiously through how. Could he stop a nuclear bomb? How much time did he have before it made landfall.

Lex gazed out the window, staring at the colored crystal planes and watching how the light played off his glass of brandy. "It won't matter, Clark. The damage is already done… Washington is practically destroyed, and that's the heart of the country, isn't it?"

"Where's Ryan Teague?"

Lex turned. "Now, whatever would you want with my Secretary of Defense?"

Clark stepped forward. "Where is he?" he demanded.

Another smile, cold and calculated, crossed Lex's lips. "Where he can do the most good in these—trying times."

"Where is he?" Clark demanded, grabbing the lapels of Lex's pristine white suit.

He suddenly heard guns behind him click into position, though Lex waved them down with his hand.

"Now, now. No need to get worked up. Teague is in Washington. Shoring up the courage of our men and women of Congress," Lex said, seeming to enjoy watching the fear cross Clark's features. "Now, Clark? Isn't it true that your mother is a Senator?"

Clark let go of Lex's suit and stepped away. "I will stop you," he vowed, before turning to leave in a burst of speed.

~\S/~

Martha knew they were in trouble when Ryan Teague came to address them, assuring them that they would be safe under the Capitol Building, and that they would be needed for after the blast.

"We will need people to reassure the public. We will need people to help us rebuild. This will be a new and better day… a day when you all will at last be subject to one superior to you. When you will at last be subject to me." As he spoke, the crowd who thought they were going to be reassured, began to cry out in protest.

"You can't do this!" cried one man, echoed by protests of a few of his colleagues.

An armed guard moved in, at least twenty men, all with guns to block the exits. The crowd hushed in fear as Ryan spoke again.

"If anyone disagrees with this proposal, you have an option – death. It's time you learn who your superior is," he said, looking disdainfully at the fearful crowd. "We have three hours until a nuclear bomb strikes the lower eastern seaboard. You have until then to make your choice."

He left, while his armed guard moved in on the frightened Congress members, who were already cramped together in this underground bunker.

Martha, sitting on the floor with her colleagues, simply put her head between her knees and prayed. "Please… please let Clark find us a way out of this…"

~\S/~

_-02 hours 59 minutes_

Lois immediately found herself in a traffic jam, trying to get out of Metropolis. She had expected it, but she hadn't really thought through the realities of it.

She only had a half a tank of gas, which on a normal day would be enough to get her to Smallville, but sitting in traffic wouldn't guarantee it.

Still, she didn't regret coming to the city. She had done what she needed to do, and that was all that mattered.

She tried not to think about the larger picture, of the people in Russia that would be killed, or how a nuclear bomb would eviscerate several states on the east coast in a matter of hours… Lex really had set them on a course of no return…

She felt a little tug of self-pity, thinking how unfair it all was. Clark was finally back, and now this. They were all doomed…

Lois sighed and turned on her radio to catch the news. Her Blackberry was getting spotty service, though when she got full bars of coverage, notices from the AP pinged into her inbox at an alarming speed. She could be back at the Plant, rehashing the AP stories, but this exodus out of the city would also be a great story – so long as they all survived Luthor's play with fire…

~\S/~

_-2 hours 38 minutes_

Martha looked around at her colleagues, huddled together like frightened children. Theoretically, some of the most astute minds in the country were down here, held captive by a mad man. Martha had tried to ask questions, like where the rest of Congress was being held who wasn't here – but she was immediately shushed by a colleague. If any of Teague's men heard someone speaking, they were immediately taken out of the room.

No one knew what they were doing to those people. Were they shot? Were they held somewhere else, secured by more armed guards?

Martha just concentrated on praying, and hoped that Clark could stop this before it was too late…

_-2 hours 21 minutes_

Oliver and the heroes made their way across the city, helping people where they could along the way.

As they neared the Capitol Building, they saw several people in business suits, milling about. They looked like they could be Congressmen, or at least worked in the area.

"Do you have any news about what's going on?" Oliver asked two men who were helping a woman with an injured arm.

"Just that the Capitol Building is on lockdown. No one is getting in, and no one's getting out," said one man with sandy blond hair and wide, frightened eyes.

"Do you know why?" AC asked.

The man shook his head. "We saw the Secretary of Defense go in with some men, and since then, no one has been able to communicate with those left inside… in—including my wife," he said, tears coming to his eyes. He looked at the heroes, a plea clear in his expression. "Please… I've heard of you. You're from Metropolis, right? Can you help? Can you get inside?"

Oliver was afraid of making a promise he couldn't keep, but he also didn't want to leave the man without some hope. "We'll do what we can. What's your wife's name?"

"Sarah… Sarah Jenison."

"We'll do our best," Cyborg said, and the heroes all locked eyes, knowing that their greatest challenges lay ahead.

They started towards the building, uncertain how they would get in.

"Obviously we can't just go in the front door. And the guy said the Secretary of Defense was in there – that's Ryan Teague, AKA Brainiac. We need Kara and Clark…" Oliver admitted.

The team turned as they suddenly heard a whoosh of wind. "Well, good thing you've got them then," Clark greeted with a smile.

"Did you find Lex?"

Clark nodded, his smile disappearing in an instant. "He's definitely not himself any longer… There's no reaching him. But we hurried back because Lex said that Ryan Teague is here."

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, some guys we ran into just told us that, too. Clark, he's in the Capitol Building."

"I know… Lex seemed to enjoy rubbing it in, too. What do you think he plans to do to the Congress men and women in there?"

"I don't know. But we better move fast, cause whatever it is, it can't be good."

_-2 hours 05 minutes_

Chloe was doing her level best to stay calm, but she hadn't been able to reach Oliver in the last two hours. Phone service everywhere was weak.

However, she was keeping up with the headlines, and she learned that Ryan Teague was holding members of Congress hostage.

President Luthor came on a short while later, stating how he didn't understand why his top in command had gone rogue, but that the matter would be dealt with immediately. Chloe wondered if Lex himself was beginning to believe his own lies…

Chloe had been persistently trying to crack into security cameras all across Washington to learn of the events firsthand, but with the news of Teague's involvement, all of her energies concentrated on getting into the halls of Congress. They needed to stop Brainiac, but she also hoped they could rescue Mrs. Kent as well.

She had one feed up, though it was delayed by almost thirty minutes. She caught a glimpse of soldiers walking by, armed to the teeth, and she feared they weren't there for anyone's protection.

It made Chloe redouble her efforts to get a look inside the building. It seemed to be one of the few that had power in the area, though there was no visible connection to power on the grid. Street cameras were mostly all disconnected, and the Capitol seemed to be running on half power.

At last, she managed to hack into one of the lower levels. She got access to what seemed to be some sort of archive room, and she saw many men and women crammed together, an armed guard standing by them. Chloe scanned the hostages, and she felt a moment's relief followed by fear when she spotted Clark's mom. She was safe, but for how long?

Chloe picked up her phone again and tried Oliver. After a few attempts, she amazingly got through, though the connection was poor.

"Ollie? I found Mrs. Kent! She's definitely under the Capitol Building," she said, getting out the most important information first, in case they got disconnected.

"Great… "

"But she's also held hostage by an armed guard."

"Any way you can help get us inside?" Oliver asked, and she wasn't sure he had heard her mention the armed guard.

"Just give me a sec…" Chloe did some quick typing, trying to figure out how much access her hacking had won her. "Actually, yeah. There's a door on the left wing of the building. I can disarm the security system. But we'll have to time it so it's undetectable to whoever might be keeping watch."

"Okay, sounds doable."

"We've had spotty communication all day. Let's synchronize our watches, and we can set up a rendezvous time for the security system, okay?"

"All right… I've got 1:20 PM."

"And seconds?"

"1:20 and, no, uh, 1:21… and 3, 4, 5 seconds…"

"OK, that's close enough. How far away are you from the Building?"

"Another ten minute walk, and we'll be at the front steps."

"OK, so then at 1:40, I'll stop the alarm for 30 seconds, got that?"

"Yeah…"

"Oliver? Everything all right?"

"Yeah… just, Chloe… be careful, all right? We'll see you soon."

"OK… bye."

Chloe hung up, and for the first time, regretted not telling Oliver that she loved him.

~\S/~

"What did Chloe say?" Clark asked anxiously.

"The Capitol Building is on lockdown. But Chloe has hacked the system and will give us a 30 second window to get inside… Clark, they've got some Congress members held hostage down there…"

"My mom, is she all right?"

"Chloe said she saw her. And she's fine… but we've got to play this one carefully."

"Kara and I will go in at the 30 second window. Kara, will you give me the crystal? I will use it on Brainiac, if you can get to the control room to shut off the remaining power," Clark said, easily slipping back into his delegating role.

Kara slipped off the necklace and handed it to him. "Be careful... but how will I find the control room?"

Oliver smiled as he waved his phone. "You wonder why I love her? Chloe just sent me architectural drawings of the Capitol. I don't know how she does it…" he marveled, shaking his head.

Oliver handed his phone to Kara, though she was a little confounded by the technology. "I don't know how to read this," she said, handing it back to him.

Oliver pushed a few buttons and then clarified. "The control room is just one floor above the side entrance. Just get up there and blast the control panel with your eye-thingy."

"That could set off an alarm, causing us more trouble than we need," Cyborg interjected.

"I don't think it will matter," Clark said, and everyone looked at him. He usually played things cautiously. "Brainiac may do something much worse if we don't act. If the whole building is dark, I can get down there, use the crystal and swipe out the weapons before anyone knows what happened. You guys just be ready to get them out of the building."

_-1 hour and 54 minutes_

Lois hated being stuck in traffic.

She was sitting on the highway, near an off-ramp, and her gas was nearing empty. She was barely out of the city, and couldn't see how she'd make it to Smallville now… She should have stayed at the Planet, or at Watchtower…

Maybe it wasn't too late to turn around… that is, if she could get back into the city…

Lois edged her car to the shoulder, knowing she could get a ticket for this kind of violation, but hoping under the circumstances, that the law would look the other way.

She made it to the off-ramp without any trouble, and decided to try and find her way back into the city. She was almost to Edge City, which was just beyond Metropolis' city limits. This end of town wasn't the best, with ramshackle houses and desperation on every street corner.

Lois locked her doors, more nervous by the fact that she didn't see anyone, than seeing anyone posing a threat. She didn't know if the residents in the area had evacuated, or were just holed up in their shanty houses, hoping for the best. But she didn't want to tempt them with her car either – she didn't want to represent their only escape route.

Lois cruised along, at what she hoped was a non-threatening speed, when suddenly, a pick-up truck came out of nowhere at an intersection.

It all happened in the blink of an eye…

She saw it heading straight towards her.

Lois hit on the gas pedal, hoping to get across before the truck could hit her. She heard the squeal of her wheels, and then the impact of the truck, somewhere behind her.

Her car spun in a circle, slamming her head into the side window.

She heard wheels screech away, shortly before her world went dark…

_-1 hour, 45 minutes_

The team waited until the security light on the side door turned off, at exactly 1:40, before Clark and Kara rushed inside.

Clark took off towards where the members of Congress were being held, immediately scanning the building to help him find them.

He glanced upwards, and could see that Kara had made it to the control room.

Before he turned away, he saw Kara fall to her knees, and Clark looked closer, seeing that there was green meteor rock being streamed into the room. Was it being used as a power source? Was that the reason the Capitol was one of the only buildings in the area with power? Whatever the reason, he had to get Kara out of there, though he knew he couldn't do it himself.

Clark rushed back to where the heroes were standing, all looking at him with perplexed expressions, as they had been anticipating seeing the hostages coming out by now.

"It's green meteor rock. In the control room," he announced, sounding a little defeated. " You have to go help Kara. I'll go back in and try to stop Brainiac—"

"The alarm will go off. We'll be toast in no time," AC interjected.

Clark agreed with a nod. "I know it's a risk, but we have to try."

Oliver nodded, in accord with Clark for the first time. "I have the plans of the building thanks to Chloe. AC, you try and enter through the sewers. I'll take Cyborg with me and we'll try to enter from the roof."

"We have to act now. I'll wait until you give me the signal from above that you're ready and we'll enter the building together. That will give them less time to try and stop us."

"All right. Let's go."

_-1 hour, 39 minutes_

Kara couldn't believe she had walked into a kryptonite trap once again. She had gotten so used to the pain in the cell, that this time, she felt like she could fight through it a bit. She only had to reach the control panel, or at least stand long enough to try and use her heat vision.

The kryptonite felt like an oppressive lead shield weighing her down as she tried to get to her feet. Each movement was an excruciating attack on her muscles.

Brainiac obviously knew her and Kal-El's weakness, having set up the control room for back-up power with kryptonite. But what she didn't understand was why the room was empty. Shouldn't there be someone here keeping watch?

She suddenly heard a clicking sound, somewhere in the vicinity of her head. "Don't move if you want to live."

She raised her hand in surrender, fighting the urge to fall to her knees as the weight of the kryptonite oppressed her muscles.

"What are you doing here?" the man asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she murmured under her breath. Her knees were shaking from the kryptonite. Though she felt she had just a little bit left in her, knowing that the kryptonite hadn't killed her before. It was painful and toxic, but its deadly effects took a long time to destroy. Kara closed her eyes, summoning what strength was in her, and shut out the burn of the kryptonite, sending one roundhouse kick towards her attacker as she let out a pain-filled groan.

She managed to knock the gun out of his hand, yet she fell immediately to the ground, her remaining energy spent in that one move. The burn in her muscles elicited a sharp cry.

"What are you?" the man asked in horror, getting to his feet after she had knocked him down.

Oliver suddenly swung into the window, knocking the gunman back to the ground.

"She's our friend. So that makes you – the enemy," Oliver said, holding the man down to the ground as Cyborg climbed in.

"Get her out of here, will you?" Oliver said, pulling a rope from his belt to tie up the hapless man.

Cyborg helped Kara to the window, who as soon as she reached the sun, recharged and flew out to float just in front of it.

"Move Oliver. I can get the panel from here," she ordered.

Oliver dragged his captive to the other side of the room so Kara could zap the control boards with her heat vision.

"Nice work," Oliver whistled. Suddenly, alarms started going off in the building, either from Kara's destruction of the control panel, or wherever Clark was at the moment. But it meant they had to hurry. Oliver laid his forearm on the back of the man's neck he'd tied up and leaned close. "So, you want to tell us where Mr. Teague is hiding the Congress members?"


	9. Chapter 9

_-1 hour, 17 minutes_

Clark set off the alarm as he sped into the building. He hoped the other team members had managed to shut down the control panel. The building was now dark, which was perfect to give him cover.

He found the archive room where his mom was being held with the other Congress members. Clark supersped in and took all the weapons from the armed guard, leaving a door open and calling out, "This way," to help lead the hostages to safety. Clark took some rope to tie up Teague's men, though he didn't intend to leave them down here.

People started panicking in the dark, and were tripping over each other to head towards the exit. A few started using their cell phones as impromptu flashlights, and they soon organized a line to find the way out. Clark scanned the crowd, looking for his mother, and keeping an eye out for Ryan Teague.

He saw Martha come through the door, and he pulled her aside, startling her. She jumped, but then breathed a sigh of relief when Clark whispered, "It's me."

She hugged him tightly. "Clark! Oh, Clark, I know we'll make it, now that you're here."

"Mom, I need to find Ryan Teague. It's Brainiac. I have to use the crystal to stop him, and send him to the Phantom Zone."

She shook her head. "He left us a while ago. He must be somewhere in the building."

"Mom, go with the others. Get to safety. I'll find him."

"Wait, Clark!" she called to him.

"What is it?"

"Th—there's a nuclear bomb. Heading to the east coast. Teague told us about it almost an hour ago."

Clark stepped towards her, laying his hand on her shoulder. "How much time do we have?"

"About another hour," she answered in an urgent, low voice.

The muscle in Clark's jaw ticked in dismay. "I'll stop it… somehow."

"Clark – be careful," she said fearfully, then turned in the dark, to follow the group as they made their way out of the building.

_-1 hour, 6 minutes_

As soon as everyone was out of the building, Clark looked for Oliver and the others. He found them standing outside the building with Kara, nearby where they had started the mission.

"Did you learn anything about where Teague may be hiding?" Clark asked.

Oliver nodded grimly. "Yeah, the White House. "

"We may have an even bigger problem."

"What's that?" AC asked.

Clark sighed. "The bomb. It's closer than we thought. We have about an hour to stop it."

"How the hell are we going to do that, Clark" Oliver asked.

"I don't know… but we can't sit around here discussing it. We need to stop Brainiac first."

~\S/~

_-54 minutes_

Josie and her five-year old brother Kevin were hungry.

Mom hadn't come back from the store, and they were alone in the house when they heard the crash outside.

"What was that?" Kevin asked.

Josie ran to the window. "It looks like a car accident."

"Can I see?"

Josie lifted her little brother to the window. "I still can't see," he complained, getting down. He ran over to the front door.

"Kevin! You know Mom said to wait inside."

Kevin looked guilty a moment, clutching his favorite worn teddy bear under his chin, but opened the door anyways.

He glanced at his older sister, and then darted out the door.

"Kevin! Come back!" Josie cried. She was only two years older than her brother, but she felt responsible for him.

"She hurt!" Kevin cried from where the car had stopped in front of their house.

Josie ran over to see what he saw. Inside the car was a woman, with a huge gash on her head. Her eyes were closed, and Josie was afraid she was dead…

Kevin climbed up into the woman's lap. "She has a big ouchy," he said, leaning on the woman's chest.

Josie could see the woman's chest moving, which she hoped meant she was alive. She knew they had to help her.

"Kevin, come with me," she said, forcefully, dragging him out of the car.

"But she hurt!" he cried, pointing back at the woman.

"Yes, I know. We'll call 911. Remember how Grannie taught us?"

Kevin nodded, his eyes wide with understanding.

They went back into the house, and Josie dialed 911.

The operator came on and Josie tried to tell the lady that someone was hurt outside her house. But the operator told her that there were no more emergency vehicles available to bring people to the hospital. She asked if her mom or dad was around and if they could help the woman.

"No. We're all alone. Me and my brother," Josie said, getting scared.

She saw Kevin pull down some toilet paper and began wrapping his bear's head in a place similar to where the woman was hurt.

"I'm sorry, kid," the operator said. "Good luck."

Josie hung up and came over to her little brother. "I'm going to get Mom's First Aid kit. We'll help her, if no one else will."

~\S/~

_-43 minutes_

Clark and Kara sped over to the White House, knowing they'd have a better chance of getting in than the rest of the team.

Oliver stayed behind, trying to reestablish contact with Watchtower to see if Chloe knew where Lois was.

Knowing they were running out of time and that there were no hostages in the White House, they wasted no time getting inside.

Alarms were immediately set off, but Clark and Kara had found their target. Teague was in the Oval  
Office – and so was Lex.

"You never give up, do you?" Lex said, clearly amused.

"It's not in my nature," Clark answered, before speeding over to Teague where he lifted the Crystal towards him. A look of horror crossed the man's features, and a grayish, ghost like figure of Brainiac lifted out of the man and was sent away in an instant by the Crystal's power.

Ryan Teague himself slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Clark turned back to Lex. "Stop the bomb. Now," he demanded.

Lex gave him a lazy smile in answer. "Wow, as impressive as that little display was, I can't, Clark… You will have to find another way to save us all," he said, an unhinged, deprecating tone in his voice.

Clark glanced at Kara. "You can't fly yet, Clark…," she whispered. "I can try to divert it but-I"

"No, it's too dangerous…"

Lex interrupted. "You know, it's really cute, you two, trying to save the world. Give up, Clark. You missed your opportunity to stop me." Lex walked over to Clark, standing almost toe to toe with him. "You can't save the world, and you couldn't save me," Lex whispered. "You see—the bomb heading to the eastern seaboard isn't the only one… there are three. One is heading to central Europe and another is heading to Australia. So what will it be, Clark? Who you gonna save now?"

Clark looked at Lex in horror, but quickly turned to his cousin. "You bring me the bomb heading to the States—"

"But the others?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't know… but we've got to try."

~\S/~

_-31 minutes_

Oliver finally reached Chloe after almost thirty minutes of trying. The cell towers were jammed up all around the country as people tried to reach their loved ones.

"Chloe? How's the view from Watchtower?"

"Metropolis is panicking. The streets are jammed up with people wanting to leave the city. There's conflicting information on the news. I think some people believe a bomb may be headed here—"

"All I know is there's one heading to the east coast. Just stay there, Chloe."

"I intend to."

"Do you know where Lois is?"

"No. I lost cell communication with her over an hour ago. She said she was headed to Smallville. She's probably stuck in traffic."

"Can you locate her with GPS?"

Oliver could almost hear the smile in her voice. "Thanks to the helpful technology provided by Queen Industries, I can… Just give me a sec."

Oliver heard some fast keyboard typing and waited.

"Oh no, Ollie… She's in Edge City. And it looks like she's been there a while."

"OK. I'll tell Clark as soon as we see him. You stay put, okay? We may need Watchtower again and I—well, I just feel better knowing you're there."

"Don't worry, Ollie. I'll be here."

"OK."

Chloe hesitated. "Love you."

Oliver smiled, then breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Love you, too."

~\S/~

_-26 minutes_

Clark stood on the shoreline of South Carolina, the choppy water below him and a dark sky above him, waiting for Kara. A storm was coming into the area, though it seemed more of an omen of what awaited them in the near future.

He couldn't help but feel guilty. He had left Earth, thinking he was saving it, but in reality, his absence had caused all of this. Even getting rid of this bomb, with three other bombs out there—the world would be changed forever.

If he had stayed on Earth, could he have stopped this all from coming to pass?

He saw Kara approaching the shoreline, the huge bomb making her look like a red and blue bird flying under it. With their combined strength, they could toss it far enough into space so that it wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Ready, Kal-El?" she called, some several hundred feet away.

She couldn't stop its speed, but the momentum of the bomb's speed combined with their strength would actually be to their advantage.

Clark crouched down, getting ready to do a super jump as Kara came nearer.

"Now!" she called, and he released, propelling himself into the air. He grabbed on to the bomb, and could feel its directional pull towards its target.

"Let's do this," Clark called over the wind to his cousin.

"Ready?" she shouted, and he nodded in answer.

"Three, two—" and they pushed the bomb up and away from the earth's shore, up into space in a matter of seconds.

Clark floated for a few seconds, but his human inclination to believe that flight was impossible soon kicked in, and he tumbled to the ground, hitting the earth with a large thud.

Kara floated smoothly above him. "You'll get the hang of it someday, Kal-El."

"Someday will be too late," he said despondently, getting to his feet and brushing off the dirt. "How can I save the others? We're running out of time… I'm going back to the team to see what they've learned…"

Clark sped off, feeling the weight of time and guilt on his shoulders. He had saved the United States, but the rest of the world was still in danger.

Clark landed by Oliver, who was checking something on his phone. They had set up a mini-base in one of the abandoned buildings near the White House. Cyborg was working on a small laptop computer.

"There are three more bombs," Cyborg announced, glancing up from his keyboard. "They'll land any minute now…"

"I know… I… I've failed," Clark said, berating himself.

Oliver laid a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't fail. You saved the US. That was no small feat, Clark. But Clark—there's something you should know."

"What?"

"Lois—she's missing. Well, sort of. Chloe found her car though it hasn't moved in over an hour."

"Is she in traffic?" Clark asked, afraid to think something had happened to her.

Oliver shook his head. "She's in the middle of a neighborhood in Edge City."

"Tell me what street."

~\S/~

_-19 minutes_

Clark sped to Edge City in a matter of seconds. He couldn't think about the bombs about to explode around the world in a matter of minutes. He couldn't think about how he had failed to protect Earth from its worst foes. He couldn't think about how everything would change, would be different forever—all because he had thought that leaving the Earth was the best way to save it.

All he could think though, at this moment, was finding Lois.

Without her, there would be no future for him anyway.

He spotted her car and sped over. She was lying, unconscious against the window, her head oddly bandaged in what looked like an ace bandage.

He carefully opened the door, and x-rayed her, looking for damage. Her spine seemed okay, though she had a huge concussion on the left side of her head.

Carefully, he reached to cup her face. "Lois? I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what, mister?" said a sleepy voice from behind the driver's seat.

Clark noticed for the first time two little kids, cuddled up in Lois' backseat, a First Aid kit propped up between them.

The boy reached around and patted Lois' shoulder. "Sissy fixed her," he said proudly.

"Sissy" was curled up asleep.

"Do you know what happened?" Clark asked, thinking quickly about how long Lois had been knocked out. He needed to get her to a hospital…

"There was a crash. The lady got hurt. But sissy fixed her."

A woman's voice was suddenly calling from across the street.

"Kevin! Josie! Where are you?" she called, panic beginning to rise in her voice.

"Are you Kevin?" Clark asked.

The boy nodded.

Clark waved to the woman. "I think they're over here."

The woman came running over, tears running down her cheeks. "Kids, what are you doing out here? I told you I would be right back—" she stopped when she saw Lois. "What happened?"

Clark started pulling Lois from the car, rethinking his plan to go to the hospital. "A car accident. But your kids tried to help."

The woman smiled, as her son crawled out of the car and clung to her leg. "Shh… Sissy is still sleeping."

"Thank you for finding them. I hope your—friend will be okay. If you need to use my phone—"

Clark shook his head. "No… I don't think there's time."

He suddenly took off in a blur.

Kevin looked up at his mom, his eyes as big as saucers. "Did you see that, Momma?"

She nodded, still in shock by the news she had heard on the radio. But she didn't want to alarm her kids… If this was the end, she prayed it would all be over quickly, maybe even when the children were asleep. "Yes… yes I did. I don't believe it… but I saw it," she said calmly. "Now, wake your sister and bring her in for dinner. We've had more than enough excitement for one day."

~\S/~

_-10 minutes_

Clark had thought about taking Lois to the hospital, but he couldn't wait around for them to work a miracle. He'd need to be around the world in a matter of minutes to try and help after the disasters of the bombs. He blamed himself for what was about to happen… and he couldn't see how he could ever absolve himself from this disaster. He had intended on saving the world… how could he have known that his absence would lead to its destruction?

No, he needed answers, and a solution. Clark sped off to the Fortress.

"Jor-El!" he called, Lois cradled close in his arms.

"Disaster will be upon the Earth, my son, in a matter of minutes," Jor-El's voice rumbled in answer.

"I cannot save them all… I ask… is there a way? Can you help Lois? Is there a way to stop the Earth from being destroyed?"

"You left the Earth, leaving the humans to their own devices. You tried to stop Zod, but by abandoning the humans, you left them to this fate."

"There has to be a way! There has to be something I can do!" Clark cried. "I cannot as yet fly, but even if I could – three bombs are set to go off around the world in a matter of minutes. It's not self-doubt that I face you with now, it's reality and uncertainty about the way forward."

"If you never had left the Earth, Kal-El, you could have prevented this."

"Why do you keep saying that? I can't go back—" he froze, realization and a cold fear hitting him. "Wait. Are you telling me I should go back in time? I could use the Legion ring…" he said, half to himself.

"If you use the ring, know that another sacrifice will be made. Fate may ask something of you that you are not prepared for."

"I lost my father when I played with time before… and yet- what awaits the earth now… I cannot abandon the humans to this fate."

"Choose wisely, my son. Remember that I will be with you, no matter the journey."

_-7 minutes_

Clark made it back to the farm in record time. Lois didn't look well, and had barely stirred since he had found her in her car.

He set her down on the sofa in the loft, to look for the ring. Lois had returned it to the box. When he found it, he opened it, suddenly hesitant. He held the ring, contemplating what Jor-El could have meant. Clark knew what changing time could do. The last time, it had cost him his father. What would a change in time ask for this time?

He sat by Lois' side, taking her hand. What if time took Lois away from him? Could he sacrifice her? Clark couldn't bear the thought… yet time was ticking down for the whole planet. He thought about the months before he had left, and how he had deceived her, for her own protection. Yet he knew that his secrets had broken her heart, especially after his absence.

He wouldn't leave her again. _Whatever the sacrifice, do not let it be her…_

He would ask the ring to take him back to the time before he had left with Zod and the Kandorians. He would find another way, or fate would. There had to be a way for him to remain on the earth while Zod was sent away from it…

He leaned down and kissed Lois' forehead, still holding her hand. He prepared to slip on the ring. "Take me back. Take me back to the moment I lost her, the moment I had said good-bye…"

~\S/~

**Three years ago**

Clark found himself standing in a shadowy alley… Lois' back to him, holding the Book of Rao.

"Can you ever forgive me for thinking you were him?" Lois said, guilt over having mistaken Zod for the Blur laden in her voice.

She held up the Book of Rao for him to take. Her trust in him was infinite… "Please say something," she pleaded. "Anything…"

Clark realized that the ring had worked its magic. He was suddenly in that back alley again, ready to say good-bye to Lois with a kiss.

He took the Book of Rao from her fingers, feeling how warm and supple they were in his hands. He pulled her to him, and kissed her. Though this time, it wasn't to say good-bye.

This kiss was a promise that things would be different. This kiss was to tell her that he'd trust her with the truth…

Clark knew he had to stop Zod, and so left her there in the alley, as he had before, though this time, with every intention of coming back to finish what he'd started.

He headed towards the top of the Daily Planet, though he was uncertain how he could keep from ascending with the other Kandorians. He knew he had to face Zod, and had to try and make things right on Earth.

Zod and the Kandorians were there, just as it had happened the first time. Clark confronted Zod, trying to make him see the error of his ways, but Zod was as defiant as ever.

When Clark lay the Book of Rao on the console, and the other Kandorians began to ascend, Zod pulled out a long, blue kryptonite dagger.

"Blue Kryptonite," Clark said through clenched teeth.

Zod nodded, lifting the dagger menacingly, "I told you. I'm not going anywhere."

This was to be the change, the sacrifice. The blue kryptonite would prevent them both from ascending. Would he have to kill Zod? Was that the answer to saving the future?

Clark didn't know, but he held onto the belief that he had to stay on the earth. The future was too dire without him – and yet, he couldn't let Zod kill him here and now. Would he be made to trade one tyrant for another?

The sky opened up above them, as Clark looked accusingly at Zod, "You knew blue Kryptonite would prevent you from ascending like the others."

Zod stepped forward, his eyes ablaze with hate and delusion. "'Better to rule in hell, then to serve in Heaven.'"

Clark felt chills at that statement, recalling hearing Zod using it in the Phantom Zone. He realized that Zod would be a tyrant wherever and whenever he went…

Zod swiped the dagger at Clark's chest, slashing the fabric of his shirt and slicing a wound that felt like cold fire.

"Since you seem to love the humans so much, let's see you fight like one!" Zod cried loudly as the storm picked up around them, bracing his legs in a fighter's stance across from Clark.

No matter what time or where Clark traveled, he would always have to face an evil… he had to win this fight, to save Earth in the future. If Zod stayed on the earth, Clark feared the destruction he would bring – it could be swifter and more disastrous than even what Lex would do.

They fought on the rooftop, in the rain, endlessly and tirelessly. At last, Zod trapped Clark, caught in the corner of the rooftop. Zod leaned over him, his face an iniquitous shadow of the man he once was, of the man that was once Jor-El's friend.

Clark felt the hate radiate from Zod, the cool rain of the earth unable to wipe it away, like a permanent stench of evil. Zod pushed Clark to the edge of the precipice, loathing coating his words, "Unlike you I will lead from the throne, not from the shadows. Every human including the woman you love, will kneel before Zod!"

Those last words stirred anger in Clark, giving him the energy he needed to lunge forward, to stop the tyrant who believed he was winning."You already destroyed my first home, I won't let you take this one!"

Suddenly, Clark felt a pain as sharp as ice and as burning as fire rip through him. His shocked eyes met Zod's victorious ones for a moment that seemed suspended in eternity. Clark looked down, the blazing blue Kryptonite dagger sheathed into his chest.

Was this to be the end then? No matter what Clark did, could he never make things right, never save the earth from the tyrants that attacked it, whether here or in the future?

Zod glanced up, the golden light of the Book of Rao beginning to pull him away from the earth, the blue Kryptonite no longer able to protect him from ascending. Clark had a moment of hope, even as his breath was leaving his body. Zod would not stay on the earth – but would be forced, like the Kandorians, onto another planet. As Zod was dragged into the light, Clark stumbled backwards, falling over the edge of the building.

Clark saw, even as he free fell to the earth, Zod disappear with the rest of the Kandorians.

Zod was stopped, but if Clark died… who would stop Brainiac and Lex in the future?

~\S/~

Lois stood in the alley, rooted to the spot.

The Blur had just kissed her. Though, she thought she knew those arms, knew that kiss…

"Clark," she breathed in amazement, as it all suddenly made sense.

Of course the Blur was Clark! She had imagined him as the Blur many times, and each time he had found a way to make her believe otherwise, or she had thought only her love had added on all that shiny white knight armor…

But the truth was so blinding and absolute, that she couldn't believe she had ever thought anything different.

The sky suddenly opened up with a rainstorm, and for once, she delighted in it. She felt truth was washing over her, and she couldn't wait to confront Clark with it. Couldn't wait to tell him that she _knew—_

Her euphoria evaporated as she realized she didn't know how to tell Clark that she knew. He was the one who had kept it a secret from her for so long, after all.

What if he had never intended on telling her? She knew Clark had an overprotective streak in him, but what if it went deeper than that – what if he just didn't trust her?

Did it matter though, knowing the Blur was planning on confronting Zod? Clark was about to go up against a monster, and she didn't know what he would do, or what would happen.

Would Zod try to kill Clark?

She tried not to panic, but she felt fear well up in her gut, wondering what she could do to help, to stop whatever madness Clark had gotten himself into.

Lois knew she herself couldn't stop Zod – but could she help Clark?

And, more importantly, would he let her help him?

Lois headed to the Daily Planet, needing to think, to process all this and to find Clark. At the very least, she needed to tell him that she loved him, no matter what and that she would be there for him. She needed to encourage him to tell her the truth about himself – and that he didn't have to face Zod alone.

As Lois neared the Planet, the early morning sun beginning to push through the clouds, she saw a figure lying in the middle of the street. As she neared, to her horror, she saw that it was Clark, a knife of some kind punctured through his chest.

Was he dead? Was Clark mortal after all? Had she been wrong? What if Zod had killed Clark – and her fantasy of him being the Blur, had just been that – a fantasy?

"Clark!" she cried, rushing over, warm tears welling up from within as she feared she would lose the only man she had ever loved. It didn't matter if he was or wasn't the Blur – she loved this man, wholeheartedly, and couldn't bear the thought of losing him. She kneeled next to him, her hands searching his features for any sign of life. Tears mingled on her cheeks with the rain, as fear cut through her chest. "Okay, okay…" she said to calm herself, over and over, feeling anything but okay.

Her fingers came to the knife, and she realized it wasn't a normal kind of blade. Desperate to try anything to save him, she pulled the knife from his chest, shocked to see the strange blue stone. But she pulled it out and tossed it away. After a moment, Clark suddenly gasped for breath, stunning Lois with the truth. No mortal could have survived such a wound…

Yet he was alive! Here was true confirmation that Clark was the Blur – and she had saved him!

She was afraid to face him, though. He had hid his secret for so long, that she feared he would run from her, run from them if he knew that she knew the truth.

Lois darted over to some crates to give him space, turning to watch, as the sun's rays seemed to heal the wound on Clark's chest. She watched in amazement and relief that he would live, just before he suddenly sped off.

He was her hero… and the man that she loved.

She just needed him to acknowledge it.


	10. Chapter 10

Bonus! I'm feeling generous, so you get two for one today. Here's the final chapter. Please post a review to let me know what you thought of this story! Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this story, try "Blurring the Lines," my personal favorite Smallville fic that I've written.

Clark had almost died…

One moment he had been falling from the roof of the Planet building, watching as Zod and the Kandorians disappeared forever… and the next, he had been lying on the cold, wet ground, fighting to return to consciousness…

He had dreamed… and in his dream, he had been warned that Lex was still a threat.

But he was still here on Earth, where hopefully, he could do something about it.

He wouldn't abandon the earth to the horrible fate that he had seen in the future. He would find a way to stop it…

And Lois—

Where was she?

Clark suddenly felt a thrill of excitement go through him, eager to find her and to tell her the truth. He wouldn't abandon her either.

He never wanted to see that lonely look in her eyes again, the look that had haunted the Lois of the future. He never wanted to see tears because he had abandoned her, without explanation, without her knowing what he felt for her.

Clark looked up towards the now morning sky. The earth was safe for now. Zod was gone, and Clark would have time to figure out how to stop Lex.

For the moment, there was something else more important to take care of.

Clark had to find Lois.

~\S/~

Lois made her way back to the Planet, still reeling from her discoveries.

Clark was the Blur.

It made so much sense. She had been hiding from the truth for so long, refusing to believe what she already had known in her heart. There had sometimes been moments or strange coincidences that made her think for a fleeting moment that Clark could be the Blur - but either she shook herself out of what she thought must be a delusion, or Clark found ways to convince her otherwise.

But now she had seen irrefutable proof. No amount of laughing it off or seeming logic would shake her from what she knew.

She suppressed a sigh. What would he do if she confronted him? Would he make her feel once more like a fool for having believed that Clark Kent and her hero were the same man?

Lois felt a knot of self-doubt tighten in her belly, worried that Clark would find some way to brush it all off, like the time he had rescued her when Ray Sacks had tossed her off the edge of the Planet building. She had wanted so desperately to believe Clark was the Blur, yet he had done everything he could to deny that it could have been him.

Did he simply not trust her?

The thought more than rankled. Trust had always been a hard issue with Lois. It seemed that those she gave it to always betrayed her one way or another.

And yet, she had found herself trusting Clark…

…and the Blur.

When would he trust her back?

Lois headed to the archive room, a million questions buzzing through her brain. Had anyone else known the truth about Clark?

Who had he trusted more than her with his big secret?

Lois felt certain that Chloe knew. It sure would explain their close relationship, and how Chloe would often come to Clark's defense.

Had Lana known?

Was that what had separated them?

Lois felt a tingle of fear up her spine. Would Clark's secret come between them too?

She was determined not to let that happen. One way or another, she would confront him with the truth – and more importantly, find a way to tell him that it didn't matter to her. That it simply made her love him even more.

She needed his trust.

Digging through the Planet archives, Lois began pulling files of stories about the Blur, seeing things in a new light. It wasn't just the Blur who had saved a family from a fire, but it had been Clark.

It wasn't the Blur who had stopped her monorail from crashing into the asphalt.

It was Clark.

Her down home farmboy was really the hero of her dreams.

Lois heard a knock at the door and glanced up, startled out of her musings.

As if she had conjured him up from reading about him, suddenly Clark was there before her.

She quickly shut the file she was reading. Butterflies fluttered furiously in her stomach, as she was unsure how she should breach the topic of what she knew, and even less uncertain whether she should say something while they were both at work.

"Uh, just looking for something," he said awkwardly, heading to a filing cabinet.

"Oh? Well, don't let me get in your way… Smallville," she said, her voice trailing off on his pet name for him. He didn't seem so "Smallville" anymore, all things considered.

As Clark stepped up to the filing cabinets, Lois quickly threw the small pile of newspapers she had been digging through about the Blur into the closest drawer.

"What are you researching?" Clark asked with a curious smirk.

"Uh, nothing… just… well checking some old stories about…" she cleared her throat. "Stuff."

"Mmm," Clark murmured, turning back to the cabinet.

She felt flustered, wondering if he had seen what she had been reading, and what he would think of it. It wasn't just her stories of the Blur she had read – but her colleague's stories, and even Clark's. Though his, she noticed, were much fewer, and only included the Blur when there was no one else to credit. Usually, he praised the police for acting quickly, or the firemen for their dedication.

She suddenly felt too close to him, her mind a whirlpool of thoughts that kept swirling towards one purpose – understanding who Clark Kent really is.

Only a short while before, she had been standing over him in the rain, fearful for his life. She kept scrutinizing him, wondering if he was fully recovered. She wanted to ask him what had happened to Zod. She wanted to blurt out that she knew the truth about him.

There were so many things that she wanted to say. How did he keep it all under wraps so well?

He seemed so calm and – normal.

And yet, he was anything but.

Beyond the stories about the Blur, beyond how she had found him in the street, what really had her shaken up was that kiss in the alley. With every glance Clark's way, it played itself over and over in her mind. She watched his jaw tick, and his brow knot together as he read, and she felt her cheeks flush red, imagining such intensity would also be on his features if he was kissing her…

She remembered too, the kiss he had laid on her in the middle of the newsroom a few weeks ago.

Both of those kisses had been spontaneous and passionate – and yet, one had revealed the man, and the other, the hero.

She longed to know what it would be like to kiss him now that way, knowing that he was both…

She needed to talk to him, to try and tell him that she knew the truth, and that she loved him. But she couldn't do it here. She needed safer, more familiar territory – somewhere where she could still remember the awkward boy she used to tease. Somewhere where she wouldn't feel so intimidated.

"Hey, um, what are you doing later?" she asked suddenly, hating that she sounded nervous.

"Not much, why?" he said, still glancing through a file.

"Well… uh, if we get through with work early today I thought… I guess I'd like to talk to you later… privately. Maybe, barn later?"

"We're alone now," he reasoned, glancing up at her with a slightly crooked smile.

She nodded, very much aware that they were alone. But still not alone enough to talk to him about being the Blur.

"I think it's better if we wait till later… I—well, is that okay?"

His lips curved up in an almost laugh and he set the file back in the cabinet. "Of course, Lois. There's something I wanted to talk to you about too."

She couldn't begin to let herself speculate on what he wanted to tell her. The way he had guarded his secret so fiercely, she couldn't see that he wanted to tell her that.

"I'll see you later then, I suppose," she said airily, brushing past him to head back to her desk, her heart pounding a mile a minute.

She couldn't even make a graceful exit, knocking her shin into a low shelf.

"You okay?" he asked, his hand suddenly on the small of her back, as she leaned down to adjust her shoe.

"Yeah, fine…" she said, feeling the heat of his hand like a brand.

She stood up, looking in his eyes for the first time since he had come into the archive room.

Something tight caught in her throat at his expression. She could see so many things in his eyes that she couldn't name, yet she could feel.

His compassion, and she thought, his love.

"See you tonight… Smallville," she whispered, and glanced away.

~\S/~

As Clark went through the rest of the day, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. All the stories of day, no matter what the crime, were lightweight compared to what he had faced in the future. The world seemed full of possibilities again, full of hope.

Though she didn't realize it, his greatest hope was the possibility of having a future with Lois.

She avoided him for much of the day, finding many excuses not to stay at her desk, and avoiding eye contact with him.

If knowledge that he was the Blur was making her this nervous, he felt doubly guilty about how he had abandoned her in the future. She had lived with that knowledge alone since he had left with Zod and the Kandorians – yet without him to talk to, without him to explain.

How long had she suppressed that knowledge before she had told Chloe and the others?

How long until she had known that he had been gone for good?

"Lois," he whispered to himself, her name caressed and lightly chided under his breath, his guilt getting the better of him. But this time it would be different. He had seen how dedicated she had been to him, how much she loved him.

She deserved to hear the truth from him – and he would tell her tonight.

~\S/~

That evening, Lois drove out to Smallville, wondering if she was making a mistake in confronting Clark about the truth. What if it drove him away - either in wanting to protect her or because he didn't trust her. Her insecurity made her self-doubtful, and she was tempted a few times along the way to turn around and head back to Metropolis.

At last though, she made her way to the Kent farm, a place she had used to call home. She felt herself smile, wondering how much of the great things that the Blur did everyday was due to the wonderful parents Clark had. She always knew that Clark was a great guy... but the Blur was just so much more.

Lois clamored up the steps of the house and rapped on the screen door. The porch light was on, though the kitchen was dark."Clark?" she called, though she couldn't see anyone in the kitchen.

When no one answered, she stepped in the house, greeted by Shelby.

"Hey girl. Where's Clark?" she said, leaning down to give the dog a pat. "Or does he keep secrets from you too?"

Suddenly, Whitesnake started playing in the living room. It was a live recorded ballad, and one of Lois' favorites - "The deeper the love." [ watch?v=b8UMs5ZKozc]

_When I look back_

_On everything I've done_

_I know you must have cried_

_A river of tears,_

_But, you were there_

_When I was feeling low_

_To walk me through my darkest fears_

The song made her smile, and she wondered what had prompted Clark to play it.

She walked into the living room, and saw Clark standing there, wearing a dark blue buttoned-down shirt and charcoal pants, his eyes earnestly searching hers. He had lit a few candles around the room, clearly trying to set a mood. He held out his hand to her, a shy smile on his face, asking her to dance.

"What's this all about?" she whispered, surprised by this set up.

He took her into his arms, and they slowly started to dance. "I haven't always been fair to you, Lois," he whispered into her hair, sending a small thrill to her heart.

She thought he had been fair to her, just not truthful.

_So when the sun goes down_

_An' those nights grow colder,_

_I will be there_

_Looking over your shoulder_

She let him pull her in closer, sudden tears coming to her eyes, listening to the lyrics and wondering if this time Clark was on the same page as her. Was he tired of running from his secrets too?

She settled into his embrace, open to whatever he wanted to tell her. She had come here to confess her heart to him. Now she wondered if he had planned to do the same.

_We'll do it together, Smallville_, she thought to herself, feeling lulled both by Clark's embrace and the song being played.

_An' the deeper the love_

_The stronger the emotion,_

_An' the stronger the love_

_The deeper the devotion_

"What do you mean, 'fair'"? she asked quietly, her head on his shoulder.

"I've asked a lot of you... and yet, I haven't been able to give you what you deserve."

She lifted her head to look at him. "And what's that?"

"The truth," he said, his eyes a soft grey.

_There were times_

_I almost let you go_

_When I thought I needed to break free,_

_But you were there_

_To whisper in my ear_

_Why don't you share my dreams with me?_

"I know you were just trying to protect me," she whispered, the words catching in her throat.

"Protect you - Lois, what do you mean?" he said, though his words were gentle.

_So when the sun goes down_

_An those nights are growing colder_

_I will be there_

_Looking over your shoulder._

She glanced up at him, tears in her eyes. She was afraid he'd run from the truth, but he had just said that he was ready to share it with her. "I mean that I know you, Clark," she said, resting her hand on his chest.

His hand covered hers as they continued to dance to the music.

"Do you, Lois? I know we've had a lot of mixed signals and false starts - but, it's because I was always hiding. Running from a future that I feared. But now, I know that there's only one way I want to face that future - and that's with you."

_An' the deeper the love_

_The stronger the emotion,_

_An' the stronger the love_

_The deeper the devotion_

"I came here tonight to make a confession," she admitted. "But it seems you had one as well."

"My confession... is that I love you, Lois. And you deserve more than I've been able to give you. You deserve the truth."

He suddenly leaned down, and kissed her, pulling her close to him as the music swelled. She closed her eyes, recalling his kiss in the alleyway. He was the same man, though something seemed different about him tonight... for the first time, Clark Kent seemed like an open book.

_I don't mind, what you're doing to me,_

_I don't mind, 'cause you're all I can see_

_I don't mind, baby, you mean the world to me_

After a long moment, he pulled away, just to look in her eyes. His hand came up and cupped her cheek. "Can you see the truth before you?" he asked, his own eyes earnest.

She nodded, words struggling with tears in her throat.

_When the sun goes down_

_An' those nights are growing colder,_

_I will be there_

_Looking over your shoulder, baby, baby, baby._

"It was you - all along," she said at last. "I realized it in the alleyway last night when you-kissed me."

Her eyes searched his, waiting for his confirmation, wanting to take this next step with him.

She was ready to accept the truth, was he ready to trust her?

_So When the sun goes down_

_An' those nights are growing colder,_

_I will be there_

_Looking over your shoulder_.

"I had only ever wanted to protect you, Lois. That is the only reason I didn't tell you that I-"

"-that you are the Blur," she finished for him.

After a slight pause, he nodded in answer. "I thought I had to hide my secret from you. I thought it was for the best. But Lois, I've-seen the future. I had abandoned you - and yet you had waited for me."

She didn't understand what he was rambling on about seeing the future. But it didn't matter – only knowing the truth and knowing that they'd be there for each other mattered.

"I'd wait for you forever, Smallville," she said as tears slipped down her cheeks.

_'Cause the deeper the love_

_The stronger the emotion,_

_An' the stronger the love_

_The deeper the devotion..._

His thumbs wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I never meant to make you cry, Lois. I only ever wanted for you to be safe."

"Don't you know that when you're in love, you're never safe? Love is always a risk, Clark. But I think it's one worth taking."

"It is, Lois... I've been afraid so often in my life... and yet with you - I feel stronger."

_I never gonna let you go,_

_In my heart, I know._

_I love you, I love you._

_Oh baby, I really love you..._

She laid her head back on his shoulder as the music faded. "With you - I simply feel home."

They swayed to the music, adrift in each other's arms.

"Home," he whispered into her hair. "At last, I feel home, too."

~The End~


End file.
